Supporting the public health response to COVID-19 in Ireland: the role of HIQA

Introduction In December 2019 the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission in China reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province (World Health Organization, 2020b). The cluster was ultimately linked to a novel coronavirus. Although initially limited to China, the virus began to spread into neighbouring Asian countries in January 2020. By the end of January, cases had been detected in 22 countries, including five in Europe. By the end of February, infections were reported in 59 countries and the first case in Ireland was reported on 29 February 2020 (Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 2020). The response to the virus was limited at first, prompting the WHO to declare on 11 March that COVID-19 could be characterized as a pandemic (World Health Organization, 2020a). Many countries adopted a range of control measures to reduce transmission of the virus. Measures included increased hand washing, social distancing and temporary closure of businesses. In Ireland, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) was established in January 2020 to oversee and provide direction and expert advice across the health service and the wider public service, on the national response to COVID-19. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) is an independent authority established to drive high-quality and safe care for people using our health and social care services in Ireland. HIQA has a wide-ranging mandate to develop standards, inspect and review health and social care services and support informed decisions on how services are delivered. In relation to the COVID-19 epidemic, HIQA has provided evidence synthesis to support the NPHET and its associated groups.