"If there's one threat to how the Coronavirus is being handled in Ireland, it is the UK position"

Tánaiste Simon Coveney told Morning Ireland on RTÉ there are no plans to close our airports or restrict flights between Ireland and the UK and that the risk of contracting Covid-19 is no higher in the UK than it is here.

But Dr Gabriel Scally later on Today with Sean O'Rourke disagreed.
Dr. Scally is an honorary professor of public health at the University of Bristol.

He said the current UK government policy is way out of line with all the rest of the countries of Europe and with the WHO advice.

"It's wrong, completely inadequate and very dangerous."

"Their policy is let this fire burn and they will try to damp it down where they can and spread it around."

"If the UK has got it right, the rest of the world has got it wrong and I don't think that's likely. I think it's displayed by some of the appalling science they're talking about with herd immunity."

Anthony Costello, a former director of the WHO said the thinks UK policy is going to accelerate the epidemic in Britain and Dr Scally agreed.

"If there's one threat to how things are being handled in Ireland, it is the UK position."

"It is clearly a problem"

Broadcast Morning Ireland and The Seán O'Rourke Show | RTÉ One | 16 Mar 2020