Hi my name is Jamie and I will be talking to you about what is the impact of COVID 19 for Irish people?
Global Pandemic
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a new virus.The disease causes respiratory illness (like the flu) with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. COVID 19 has become a global pandemic affecting almost every country in the world including Ireland. There have been around 6,000 cases and over 200 deaths in Ireland. There have been over 1,400,000 cases and over 80,000 deaths.
Impact on Daily Life
The Government has imposed restrictions on people travelling such as the following.
- Stay at least 2 km within your house.
- Work from home.
- Schools closed, learning from home
- All restaurants, bars, cinemas and leisure centres except supermarkets and pharmacies have been closed.
- Old people have to cocoon because they are most at risk.
The government has recommended social distancing while exercising, shopping, etc. They also have advised people to cough/sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and constantly wash your hands.
Why has the Government Imposed these restrictions?
The government doesn’t want people to get sick with the virus. They are trying to control the number of people attending hospital. They only have a limited number of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds and ventilators. They are taking measures to flatten the curve (see diagram below).
It is important to adopt social distancing measures and listen to the advice from the HSE to help the health care workers who are on the frontline. The COVID 19 global pandemic is like a war with health care workers on the frontline battling an invisible enemy.
Economic Impact
As a result of the measures being taken by the Government to slow down the spread of the virus thousands of people have lost their jobs or have had to close down their businesses. The Government has introduced benefits for employees who are not being paid. It is estimated that the COVID 19 pandemic could cost the Irish economy 20-30 billion euro.
I hope you enjoyed my blog and stay well. Thank you.
