IRELAND’S Chief Medical Officer is to hold an urgent meeting with Donegal’s politicians this evening over the Covid situation in the county.
The meeting comes following a stark warning from Tony Holohan over Donegal’s infection rates. NPHET has already stated publicly that it believes the Covid-19 outbreaks can be traced back to birthday parties and social events.
With concerns continuing to grow, Donegal TD Joe McHugh contacted Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to request an urgent meeting.
Writing on social media earlier, Mr McHugh confirmed that a meeting between Tony Holohan, Minister Donnelly and Donegal’s politicians will go ahead this evening at 6pm.
Sinn Féin Councillor Gary Doherty says though he takes exception to the claim by NPHET that non-compliance is widespread in Donegal.
Councillor Doherty said in his experience, most people are adhering to the rules and guidelines.
“I’m an elected representative in Donegal, I talk to people in Donegal seven days a week and hand on heart I don’t see high levels of non-compliance in the county,” said Gary Doherty.
“Maybe I’m wrong but my opinion is that the vast, vast majority of people in Donegal have been doing everything they possibly can to stop the spread of Covid and get out of this bloody lockdown.
Councillor Gary Doherty says he has seen no evidence of large scale non-compliance with Covid regulations in Donegal.
“We in Donegal have been under lockdown for longer than any county in Ireland. They know we’re different. We’re surrounded by neighbouring areas which have far higher rates of vaccination and which are now opening up. In Strabane this week people aged 30-40 got vaccinated. In Lifford, we’ve just started vaccinating those aged 60-70.
“So why don’t NPHET and the Government start to come up with solutions to solve the problems we have in Donegal? Why does a county as large as Donegal not have more vaccination centres? Why did our first walk-in test centre only open last week, a full four weeks after the first one was opened in Dublin and Tullamore?
“If the problems are different in Donegal then we need different solutions to solve them.
“I’m certainly not buying into a narrative where the ordinary people of Donegal get blamed when I know that most of us have been doing the right thing since March last year,” Councillor Doherty added.
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