Gardaí called to hospital twice after suspected Covid patients refused to isolate
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Gardaí called to hospital twice after suspected Covid patients refused to isolate

GARDAÍ HAVE twice been called to an Irish hospital after patients suspected of having coronavirus refused to isolate.

According to BreakingNews.iean Garda Síochána were called to Wexford General Hospital on two occasions in recent days to help keep the peace after patients suspected of carrying the Covid-19 virus refused to remain in their rooms.

The outlet reports that the patients, who should have been self-isolating alone in their rooms as they awaited a test result, would not remain inside and were leaving their room and the hospital itself to go for walks or for cigarette breaks.

Emergency medicine consultant Dr Mick Molloy, who works at Wexford General Hospital, says self-isolating when under suspicion of having Covid-19 is done to protect both the patients in question, other patients in the hospital, and staff, but some people were refusing to follow the rules.

Wexford currently has the fifth-highest Covid-19 incidence rate in Ireland, with a rate of 634.5 per 100,000 people.

Some areas are worse-hit however, such as Enniscorthy, which has an incidence rate of 1,614, according to Ireland's Covid Tracker app.

Yesterday, 31 January, a further 15 deaths were reported from Covid-19 with 1,247 new cases confirmed.

The new figures means there have now been 3,307 deaths from the virus in Ireland since the pandemic began, along with 196,547 cases.