Local Independent Deputy, Denis Naughten, has called on the Taoiseach to access the large amounts of data on Covid-19 infections that the HSE is storing in the cloud in advance of making decisions on how the lockdown is to be lifted.
“Government is looking at some type of easing of restrictions that would bring us somewhere between level 3 and level 4, maybe to a new level 3.51, so clearly the levels announced last September are not fit for purpose and need to be revised,” Deputy Naughten asserted.
Speaking in Dáil Éireann, Deputy Naughten highlighted that Government will make this call not based on all of the available information because the bulk of the information collected on contact tracing is still locked in the cloud.
“We have over 500 people working in 11 contact tracing centres inputting large volumes of data every minute onto a software system that has the capacity to generate reports on who, where and how people are getting infected with Covid-19, but this is not happening.
“It is akin to making up a flat pack kitchen and refusing to look at the instructions. But while a bit of putty will cover over any mistakes, making up that kitchen, if Government gets this wrong, we will be facing into another lockdown for Valentine’s Day,” Deputy Naughten. concluded.
