An expert in infectious diseases has said temperature checks at GAA grounds will not tell the full story as to whether or not someone should be allowed to attend a match.
Dr Mary Horgan is the President of the RCSI and a member of the GAA's Covid Advisory Committee, and she spoke to OTB AM about the return of crowds to matches in the coming weeks.
While temperature checks are a first step, Dr Horgan said that self-responsibility is the key advice.
"Most people when they have temperatures, they feel unwell. And the advice from the GAA clearly is if you are unwell for any reason you should not attend training.
"Temperature checks have limited use, using them widespread is I don't think the best practice. The onus is on self-responsibility for either a parent who has a child going out to train, or indeed the older players.
"If you are unwell, stay at home, get your temperature checked, and follow up with your doctor. The logistics of doing temperature checks across the country is just not feasible.
"People can get rid of their temperatures very easily by taking medication... it's not something you police, it comes back to self-responsibility.
"A lot of the temperature checks, while they're available at airports... it doesn't mean you may not have a temperature or may not admit to having a temperature.
"Sometimes you can feel unwell without even having a temperature, sometimes people take two Panadol and the temperature goes [but] they still have an issue."
Dr Horgan says she has been very comforted by how the GAA has tackled the return to play in the safest possible manner.
Feargal McGill, Director of Player, Club, and Games Administration, outlines the reasons why #GAA dressing rooms and gyms are to remain closed until further notice
— The GAA (@officialgaa) July 14, 2020
"Contact sports weren't supposed to start until the 20th of July, and then the government announced in mid-June that it would actually be the 29th of June.
"The GAA really have been leading the way in return to sports, and we all know the importance of sport for health and wellbeing. That includes spectators and watching talented people play sport.
"It does come down to personal responsibility of the spectators that come. Everything we do at the present time impacts on others, so that self-responsibility of washing your hands, cough etiquette, is so important.
"If you come into a ground to watch a match, first of all you're privileged, secondly do the public health guidance, and really enjoy it.
"What's happening here is baby steps, and the GAA have been brave enough to start the baby steps, but with close monitoring of what's going on nationally, and always in line with public health guidance.
"Otherwise we would not be playing any sport for the next year if we didn't take those baby steps. The GAA have spent a huge amount of time trying to get this as right as possible with the safety of players, backroom staff and now spectators being paramount."
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