A year on, but no time for complacency says Trust medic

ONE year on from the declaration of Covid-19 as a pandemic, local people are being warned not to become complacent as the virus remains a threat in communities.

On March 11 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared Covid-19 a global pandemic and on March 19 the virus claimed its first victim in the North.

Now one year on and with much more cause to be positive due to the ongoing success of the mass vaccination programme, the Western Trust has asked people not to become overly complacent.

As the weather begins to improve and with the expected easing of restrictions, the Trust is concerned that people will become less thorough in the implementation of the basic anti-covid measures, such as washing hands, wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing measures.

GP associate medical director at the Western Trust Dr Ciaran Mullan said, “On March 11, 2020, the world was shocked with the news the WHO had declared Covid-19 a global pandemic and almost immediately we had to change almost every aspect of our lives.

“One of the most important ways that we adapted was in how we became responsible for ourselves and each other by washing our hands, wearing face coverings and adhering to social distancing measures.

“These simple actions have been arguably the most important in tacking the spread of Covid-19 throughout our communities.

“As a Trust we would like to highlight that it is still important that people don’t forget about these simple tasks due to a sense of complacency, weariness or even optimism due to the success of the vaccination programme to date,” said Dr Mullan.

The Western Trust added that although overall infection rates are going down, there are still pockets of resistance across Northern Ireland and with the presence of asymptomatic carriers and more contagious strains it is still important to minimise the potential risks of outbreaks by remembering the basic techniques.

People are advised to continue social distancing by staying two metres apart, use hand sanitiser regularly, wear a mask in public places, cover mouth when coughing and sneezing and abide by the guidelines around isolation.

On Friday, Health Minister Robin Swann marked the first anniversary of the first death from coronavirus by offering his sympathy to all families who have suffered loss.

“Our thoughts are very much with the families and friends of those who have died. I know I speak for people across Northern Ireland in saying that,” said Mr Swann.

“We can see better days ahead in the battle against the virus, but we must never forget the pain and loss it has caused. Nor can we ever overlook its capacity to inflict more suffering.

“We must remain vigilant and keep taking the steps that we know will stop Covid-19 spreading.”