Pat Flanagan comment: We are going the way of Italy and Spain in coronavirus crisis if idiots don't cop on

If there was an idiot’s guide to the coronavirus those who crammed on to beaches and visited crowded scenic spots at the weekend would feature strongly for they would be the idiots of the title.

You would imagine the horror stories coming from Italy and Spain would be enough to persuade this small minority to stay at home.

It is clear the message from the Chief Medical Officer to stay at least two metres away from other individuals is not getting through.

At the same time it is understandable that people, especially those with children, want to get some air and exercise.

On the other hand the Government has not taken the extreme measures imposed on the public in both Spain and Italy.

The administration here has resisted calls for a complete lockdown but if a sizable percentage of people continue to flout social distancing it is only a matter of time before it is introduced.

Italian military trucks drive through streets of Bergamo after the army were deployed to move coffins from the town (via REUTERS)

But it’s not just a few careless individuals who are putting others at risk by putting their leisure activities before the public good. Yesterday there were reports that there were huge crowds in the Courts of Criminal Justice in Dublin which should be setting an example.

We are often horrified at the actions of those in Britain who actually celebrated and held street parties after war with Germany was declared in August 1914.

But in their ignorance they could not have known they were on the cusp of the bloodiest conflict in human history and that the war they were told would be over by Christmas would rage for another four years.

The public here can see on their TV screens and their social media platforms the death and misery that is taking place in Spain and Italy.

There appears to be a “it can’t happen here” attitude among some when the reality is that unless the infection rate is drastically reduced we are less than two weeks from where these countries are now.

But it’s even worse than that, Ireland’s health service can barely cope during an ordinary winter, never mind deal with a full-blown pandemic.

It is still not too late but social distancing must be strictly observed or we are going the way of Italy and Spain.