Coronavirus: Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd rebuked for ‘dangerous nonsense’ as NI cases of Covid-19 climb to 45

As 11 new cases of coronavirus in Northern Ireland were confirmed, a former Sinn Fein minister was rebuked by a high-profile physician for issuing “dangerous nonsense” on the matter on social media.
A deserted Trafalgar Square in London on Sunday, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ministers are yet to make a decision on whether to ban gatherings of over 500 people. Scotland said it would bring in restrictions from Monday. Photo: Rick Findler/PA WireA deserted Trafalgar Square in London on Sunday, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ministers are yet to make a decision on whether to ban gatherings of over 500 people. Scotland said it would bring in restrictions from Monday. Photo: Rick Findler/PA Wire
A deserted Trafalgar Square in London on Sunday, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said ministers are yet to make a decision on whether to ban gatherings of over 500 people. Scotland said it would bring in restrictions from Monday. Photo: Rick Findler/PA Wire

Yesterday’s 11 new confirmed cases is the largest single-day rise so far for NI, bringing the total to 45. However, people with mild symptoms are being advised to self-isolate and are therefore unlikely to appear in official figures.

The news came after Sinn Fein MLA John O’Dowd issued a blistering attack on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s response to the virus.

Mr O’Dowd tweeted: “Let’s be clear, this shire of b*****ds are using everyone of us in some form of twisted medical experiment. Do you honestly believe the rest of Europe is wrong & this balloon and his ilk are right. If you are not angry it’s time to get angry, we are on the brink of disaster!”

However, Lord Alderdice, a professor of psychiatry at the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, rebuked him for his “dangerous nonsense”.

Meanwhile, Whitehall Health Secretary Matt Hanckock said yesterday that everybody over 70 will be told “within the coming weeks” to stay at home for an extended period to shield them.

He was speaking after 14 more UK deaths, bringing the total to 35, out of 1,372 cases. Forty more cases have been added to the total of 169 in the Republic, with two fatalities so far.

The Irish government has also called on all pubs and bars to close until at least March 29 – an incredible request on the brink of St Patrick’s Day.

Lord Alderdice rebuked John O’Dowd for calling for opposition to the UK government response to the virus.

“This is dangerous nonsense, John,” the former speaker of the Assembly said. “The UK PM is following medical and scientific advice. Stop playing politics with people’s lives.”

Political commentator Alex Kane also rebuked the former minister.

“John, if, for any reason at all, I described the SF leadership as a ‘shower of b*****rds’ I’m pretty sure there would have been extreme anger and a demand that I withdraw the comment,” he said. “These are difficult enough times without this sort of intervention.”

However Sinn Fein stood its ground on the tweet. “We are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis and a public health emergency,” a spokesman said. “There has been a spike in reported cases of Coronavirus across Ireland in recent days. The focus should be on taking urgent and decisive action to deal with this pandemic and protecting people’s health.”

Mr O’Dowd made his criticism a day after Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister diverged from Arlene Foster when she called for schools in Northern Ireland to follow the Republic’s lead to close.

Mr O’Dowd’s provocative comments caused a stir on Twitter. Lauren Moore responded: “Respect and integrity shining through....” however Sorcha Ní Olláin was fully supportive, tweeting: “Nail on the head!”

The Stormont Department of Health, however, stood firmly behind the Prime Minister.

“The four regions of the UK have been in preparation for months for this virus and those close and well-established working relationships between Ministers and their scientific teams will never have been as important as they are now,” a spokesman responded. “Whilst there is obviously much attention on whether schools should close, at this moment in time there is no evidence to justify school closures and indeed to do so at this stage may even be counterproductive.

“Health Minister Robin Swann met with UK Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock just last week to discuss the actions being taken on Covid-19. The Minister also met with colleagues from the Republic yesterday to discuss ongoing cooperation between the jurisdictions to tackle the outbreak.”

It said that people with mild symptoms - a new persistent cough and/or a fever - should stay at home and self-isolate for seven days. They will not require testing.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the over-70s and people with certain health conditions would be told within weeks they needed to remain at home, with groceries and vital medication delivered - but he did not give details about how long this would be for or when it would start.

The government is to release social distancing advice for the elderly today - but they will not yet be asked to self-isolate for long periods. The news emerged as travellers from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland struggled to get home from other European countries which have imposed stringent new measures to fight the pandemic.

Aer Lingus flights from the Canary Islands to Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports were cancelled - the airline said it was a result of air traffic control restrictions and it was working to help its customers.

On Sunday Dungannon became the latest town to cancel its St Patrick’s Day festivities.

Last week Deputy First Minister Mrs O’Neill called for schools to be shut immediately, in line with the Republic of Ireland.

But First Minister Arlene Foster said on Saturday she would only close schools “when we are advised on the medical evidence”.

She added: “Children will be at home for quite a considerable period of time, given that when we do close the schools they will be closed for at least 16 weeks.

“Then of course you are into the summer period, so they will be off school for a very long time.”

Deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill repeated her call for Northern Ireland schools to shut immediately, in line with the Republic of Ireland but the DUP leader said it is “not a time to play orange or green politics”.

Meanwhile dissident political party Saoradh said that after grass roots discussion, a decision has been taken to cancel its National Easter Commemorations.