A leading health expert believes the coronavirus “will be spreading within our communities within weeks.”
Dr Sarah Doyle, a specialist in public health medicine, told a HSE briefing on Thursday: “Everyone needs to get ready.”
She said: “As we move into the next phase, we will be saying to everybody, even those with very mild symptoms, they will need to be to self isolating.
“So people may feel fit to go to work but they are at risk of spreading infection. So workplaces and each and every one of us need to think about what that means for us.”
Dr Doyle added: “In their schools and their work, people need to think about what they can do within those settings to prevent the spread of infection. The only way we can protect ourselves is by protecting all of us.”
HSE spokesman Paul Reid said that the Covid-19 virus is “unprecedented” and there will be “significant” investment to create stronger public awareness.
He said that the public needs to treat the coronavirus “very seriously” and to act on all of the advice that is given.
The HSE has said that any healthcare worker who returns from an at-risk area should not return to work and should self-isolate and contact their Department of Public Health.
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