Dr Tony Holohan rubbishes claims by Ryanair's Michael O’Leary that Irish people being punished by lockdown

Dr Holohan rejected several pleas for an easing of restrictions

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has rubbished claims by Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary that the Irish people are being punished with one of the strictest lockdown regimes in Europe.

Dr Holohan rejected several pleas for an easing of restrictions on:

- the two-metre social distance rule

- the five-kilometre travel limit

- and a 14-day quarantine for travellers arriving into the country

Asked if the outspoken Ryanair chief was correct to say Irish people are being penalised by one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns, Dr Holohan replied: “No.”

Questioned if the millionaire businessman was correct in saying a quarantine has no basis in science or public health, he also answered: “No.”

The CMO added: “I don’t think it is the time for us now a week into measures to start widespread advocacy for change we need to hold with the measures we know are working.”

A further 17 people have died of Covid-19 – 14 of them in nursing homes – bring the death toll to 1,631.

Dr Holohan described the 73 new cases confirmed yesterday as a “small number” and said trends remain on track to launch phase two of re-opening the county in 12 days.  The total infections now stand at 24,803.

However, the CMO also warned a slight jump in the numbers admitted to hospital and ICU yesterday was being carefully monitored.

There were five people taken into ICU in the previous 24 hours and 15 hospitalised with the virus.

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Dr Holohan briefed members of the Cabinet yesterday and told them NPHET was not changing its advice that a two-metre social distance guideline is needed.

He said there was no attempt by ministers to persuade him to reconsider on the grounds of the economic impact.

The CMO said it was not a given that the one-metre rule would be adopted at a later stage of re-opening.

Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin had questioned the justification for enforcing a five-kilometre travel limit up to July 20.

But Dr Holohan said the range of measures taken here had helped prevent the kind of outbreaks that devastated cities like New York, London, Paris and Milan.

He added: “It has helped to reinforce the important message of staying at home.  The responsibility to protect the health of the people in this country rests with us.”

Dr Holohan agreed parents of small children will have to accept there will be a certain amount of transmission risk when schools and creches open their doors again.

“There are children of a certain age where the concept of social distancing can’t be explained to them,” he said.

Dr Siobhan Kennelly – the HSE group lead for older people – said lessons will be learned from how some nursing homes kept the virus out.

“We are still learning, some outbreaks are still ongoing,” she said.  “We won’t know until we are out the other end what was different in one facility versus another.

“HIQA have been very closely involved with facilities where there have been no Covid outbreaks in terms of looking at their preparedness and I think  what we are looking forward to is the lessons learned that could be incorporated from that.”