The World Health Organisation is urging countries to do all they can to eradicate COVID-19 before winter sets in.
It comes as the HSE said it can’t rule out introducing localised lockdowns to tackle outbreaks in Kildare, Laois and Offaly.
Nearly half the country’s cases have been in the area over the past two weeks – with a number of clusters confirmed in meat plants.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, WHO spokesperson Dr Margaret Harris said countries need to take control of the virus before winter sets in.
“What we need to do is get this thing right down, ideally get rid of it, in summer because, in winter, the cold leads to all kinds of illnesses,” she said.
“Not just infectious illnesses but the chronic illnesses get worse because there is so much pressure on people’s bodily systems.
“Hospitals are always under much more pressure in the winter so let’s get rid of this thing now. it is important that the warning is understood now.”
She said the whole of Europe is now in a situation where we “really need to pay attention.”
“I wouldn’t say precarious but clearly there are cases rising in most countries,” she said.
“We have really seen that the lovely summer weather and the misunderstanding of the loosening of measures has led to people thinking it is business as normal – back to partying , back to enjoying the summer and unfortunately, the virus has exploited this and done what it likes to do which is transmit between us when we are close together.”
She said people must remember that, when the virus is anywhere in the community it is “potentially everywhere.”
“Even if a country is doing really, really well – and Ireland has done brilliantly – it comes back,” she said.
“It loves the fact that we love to be together and if you have got anybody with virus in their physical system, they can transmit it, unknowingly often.
“We realise quite a lot of people don’t have strong symptoms or early symptoms even while they are infectious so it is very, very important to do all the things that we know work.
“The hand washing and keeping the environment clean but the hardest thing really is the physical distance because we really do love to be together.”
You can listen back to the full interview here:
