Over 2,000 Travellers have been infected with Covid-19 in the third wave of the pandemic since December 13th.
Figures gathered by Pavee Point, which represents the rights of Travellers, show that some 10 per cent, or 3,500, of the 35,000-strong community have contracted the virus since March last year, an incidence rate well over twice that of the wider population.
The figures for the infection rate within the community could in fact be higher because ethnicity has not been captured in the statistics, according to Pavee Point chief executive Ronnie Fay.
In an update published in early February, Nphet disclosed that there had been 33 separate outbreaks among Travellers in the last two weeks of January alone.
Among the 68 outbreaks identified among travellers since December 13th, nine of the clusters had more than 20 linked cases.
Between December 13th and February 1st, a total of 329 cases were recorded among Travellers in Galway (23 per cent) and 237 in Dublin (17 per cent). There were two deaths and five ICU admissions in that time period. The median age was 25 years.
Ms Fay said the high figures were not surprising given the underlying health inequality faced by Travellers, overcrowding in housing and on halting sites, chronic health conditions and poor living conditions.
Indeed, she said, if it were not for the work of Traveller welfare organisations and primary healthcare services the numbers could have been much higher.
“The HSE and the Department of Health have been working in a very collaborative manner, and have provided emergency facilities. It took the pandemic to implement the Traveller health action plan that was committed to in 2017.”
She said that on halting sites extra caravans were provided where there was overcrowding, as well as Port-a-Loos and clean water. She said in some instances to avoid overcrowding local authorities had opened up extra fields and allowed Travellers to stay in non-authorised sites without fear of eviction.
Other mitigation measures were targeted testing and emergency sweeps of halting sites by the ambulance service, where they tested all people on site following outbreaks.
Contributory factor
Traveller funerals had been a contributory factor to cases, said Ms Fay, and Pavee Point had issued strong statements urging Travellers to respect the rules around numbers at funerals.
“This is a very difficult issue. Travellers see funerals as very important, and it is counter-cultural not to show respect. Travellers have larger families at it has caused mayhem when they have been told to limit the numbers to 10.”
Because of their close living arrangements Travellers have been classified as similar to congregated settings and as such have been prioritised as one of the groups which will receive early vaccination.
Ms Fay pointed out that only 3 per cent of travellers live beyond the age of 65.
“The pandemic has been really hard for Travellers at all levels. Look at educational disadvantage. If you are a school child who has parents who are illiterate and you live on an overcrowded site and do not have access to broadband or to laptops, it’s almost impossible to [continue with your education].”
