A HEALTH worker who lives in Dublin city centre has expressed concern over a second wave of coronavirus after witnessing ‘drunken crowds’ in the Irish capital over the weekend.
There has been widespread unease over sightings of large crowds on the streets outside bustling bars and pubs in Dublin this past Saturday.
A video filmed by Newstalk reporter Barry Whyte on Dame Lane this past Saturday showed crowds of people spread out across the popular Dublin street.
It’s sparked fresh worries over a potential second spike in cases of Covid-19.
Gardai walking around the streets in Dublin City Centre to make sure pubs are not breaking the guidelines on social distancing, serving food or time limits etc
Yet this is allowed on Dame Lane..... pic.twitter.com/4inEgsY2Rm— Barry Whyte (@BarryWhyte85) July 4, 2020
Laura Durcan, a Rheumatologist who lives in Dublin city centre, took to Twitter to express her concerns over what she described as “drunken crowds everywhere”.
She tweeted: "Town is horrendous tonight. Drunken crowds everywhere. No distancing.
"I am not the fun police, but I am really really worried about two weeks' time."
"Come on folks,” she added. “We do not want to do this again.”
Town is horrendous tonight. Drunken crowds everywhere. No distancing. I am not the fun police but I am really really worried about 2 weeks time.
Come on folks.
We do not want to do this again.— Laura Durcan (@Rheum2improve) July 4, 2020
The concerns echo those of Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, who also saw the unfolding chaos for himself.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Brendan O’Connor show, he described he scenes as “profoundly upsetting” given the sacrifices made by so many already.
Dr O Tuathail drove through Dublin's city centre on Saturday night and describing something akin to a “festival atmosphere” with the city "absolutely rammed" with people.
Angry at what he views as a "slap in the face to those who’ve broken their backs to keep the country working", the doctor offered a grace prediction for the future.
"After last night, I really think we’re weeks away from a second wave," Dr O Tuathail said.
Outgoing Health Minister Simon Harris, meanwhile, also took to Twitter to appeal for more “common sense” when it came to returning to pubs and restaurants.
C’mon everyone. We’ve come too far to go back. Great to see our economy reopened & social life resuming but let’s keep using our cop on & common sense. We owe it to each other, to those families who have lost loved ones, to the local business we want to keep open & to our kids https://t.co/zcoeWkETUg
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) July 5, 2020
“C’mon everyone,” he wrote.
“We’ve come too far to go back. Great to see our economy reopened & social life resuming but let’s keep using our cop on & common sense.
“We owe it to each other, to those families who have lost loved ones, to the local business we want to keep open & to our kids.”
See More: Coronavirus, Covid-19, Dublin
