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Fitness & Health

27th Mar 2020

The HSE is developing specific isolation facilities for people with mild Covid-19 symptoms

Alan Loughnane

HSE citywest

The first of them will be in Citywest.

The HSE is developing new facilities where people who are infected with coronavirus but do not require hospital treatment can go to isolate.

The facilities are for those who have mild symptoms of Covid-19 but are unable to isolate sufficiently.

Liam Woods, Director of Acute Operations at the HSE, has said he hopes the first facility will open in the next day or two.

Speaking on Morning Ireland, he said the first of these will be in Citywest in Dublin.

“Our separate isolation centres are being established for people like those in nursing homes who may need to be isolated as a result of clusters,” Woods said.

He added: “The HSE is establishing facilities and an example would be out in Citywest, where people can be isolated who may not need hospitalisation but may not be able to isolate sufficiently in a home or in another environment.

“There’s a range of options being developed and coming into place across the country for that.”

On the question of personal protection equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, Woods acknowledged that while stock of PPE has not run out, it is running low and said deliveries will be distributed from Sunday onwards.

“There are new stocks arriving in Ireland on Sunday as part of a first phase of a very large consignment of stock that’s been secured,” Woods said.

He said that on an average year, the HSE would spend €50 million on PPE but this year they’ve already spent €30 million and have a contract to buy €200 million worth of PPE.