A LEADING GP has warned it is “starting to feel like March again” in Ireland as fears increase over a second wave of coronavirus.
Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, a former head of the GP union, took to social media to express his concerns that a second wave appears imminent.
Sharing a screenshot of the calls he had received already that day, Dr O Tuathail believes things have nearly reached as bad a level as they were in March when the pandemic began.
The doctor tweeted: "It’s really starting to feel like March 2020 all over again.
"Getting an alarming increase in requests for Covid testing and it’s trending upwards.
"My day so far has been all Covid related - for the first time in weeks.”
Though he stopped short of suggesting the second wave has already arrived, he admitted the increase in calls related to Covid-19 was “worrying."
It’s really starting to feel like March 2020 all over again 🚨
Getting an alarming increase in requests for covid testing + it’s trending upwards
My day so far has been all Covid related - for the first time in weeks
It’s worrying 😓 pic.twitter.com/WWVj7e4XKj— Maitiu O Tuathail (@DrZeroCraic) July 17, 2020
The warning comes just two weeks after videos and pictures surfaced online showing huge crowds packed close together outside pubs and restaurants across Dublin.
Dr O Tuathail bore witness to those scenes firsthand and predicted at the time that the Irish capital was “weeks away” from a second wave of coronavirus cases.
Commenting on Twitter at the time, he described the scenes as a "slap in the face to those who have broken their backs to keep the country working".
Dame Court. Image: Leah Farrell/Rollingnews.ieThose concerns appear to have been echoed by the Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn who warned that Ireland is in a "precarious" position following a spike in cases.
He nevertheless believes the public has the power to keep case numbers low by taking note of the public health advice issued bu the government.
He said: "We have the power to limit the spread and impact of this disease.”
“The way we do so is through following public health advice, avoiding high risk situations and encouraging our friends and family to do the same."
