New Lockdown disproportionately damaging on the evidence provided – Tóibín
Aontú leader and Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has stated that the proposed new Lockdown would be disproportionally damaging on the evidence provided to date. He stated;
“We must do all we can to reduce these numbers. Socially distancing, working from home where possible, wearing face coverings on public transport and in shops and hand hygiene. But we must also be proportionate”.
“We were told that lockdown would only be used to stop the health service being overwhelmed. Its clear that while there is a worrying increase in the numbers of new Covid cases other significant indicators such as hospitalisations, patients in ICU and deaths are fractions of what they were during the previous Lockdown”.
“Its also clear that we are missing critical research and information as to the cost of lockdown. All loss of life is a tragedy and we must do all we can to reduce these numbers, but Lockdown is not a cost-free policy”.
“I have asked the Government, Nphet and the HSE over and over since April, what is the cost of these restrictions in terms of mortality, morbidity just in terms of Cancer, Heart Disease, Stroke and Mental Health alone and its clear that no research has been carried out to ascertain the human cost of Lockdown”.
“2,500 people have got cancer in this state just since the start of October. 124 people have died of cancer so far in October. Many more are experiencing delayed diagnosis and treatment. I have spoken to medics who have indicated that capacity in this area has been significantly reduced and waiting lists massively increased. This will result in lost lives”.
“This is not to mention poverty, unemployment, billions of euro of national debt and a wiped out enterprise sector. All these issues are themselves are indicators of future morbidity and mortality.
“Nearly half of the counties in the state are at or below the level that put Kildare, Offaly and Laois into lockdown. Yet these counties are expected to go straight to Level 5 lockdown literally overnight”.
We have just gone through a summer of little action in terms of airports, in testing/tracing, Meat Plants, Direct Provision Centres and All Ireland management of this illness. We have about 280 ICU beds currently. Shockingly that’s down from 411 in April. The summer was a time for the state to prepare for this winter’s Covid challenges. It didn’t happen. And now the country is expected to pay for this through one of the most severe Lockdowns currently on the planet”.
“The Government must not make any decisions on Level 5 without clearly laying out any evidence and bringing it before the Dáil. The democratic process has been ignored since the start of this crisis. Democracy cannot be a casualty of Covid too.
