Despite the difficult times we currently find ourselves in, it is heartening to see the type of response we have gotten from many people. Earlier this week we heard of 25 health professionals in Perth quitting their jobs to return to Ireland and help with the crisis in this country, but this seems far from an isolated incident.
There have been a number of reports of Irish people working abroad coming home to help in any way they can, but this is likely to become more difficult in the coming weeks.
As affected countries continue to tighten their borders and the number of people travelling via air plummets dramatically, securing a flight may be no easy task.
For those in a certain part of the world, Emirates is one of the only options in returning back to these shores. However, the Dubai-based airline is set to suspend nearly all passenger flights by March 25th.
Today we made the decision to temporarily suspend most passenger flights by 25 March 2020. SkyCargo operations will continue. This painful but pragmatic move will help Emirates Group preserve business viability and secure jobs worldwide, avoiding cuts. https://t.co/x7Y9XUOaAW 1/5 pic.twitter.com/LyU9CLR4iU
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) March 22, 2020
This comes as the UAE continues to be gripped by the coronavirus. For people in Asia and Australia, this will make it incredibly difficult to come back to Ireland.
According to RTÉ Health Correspondent Fergal Bowers, a group of around 50 doctors who were set to travel from Perth have now had their plans disrupted.
I got a message about 50 doctors who were leaving jobs in Perth this week to come back & work for the HSE They've found out their flights are cancelled (Emirates suspending all passenger flights after Wednesday). They're getting in touch with the Irish consulate in Perth for help
— Fergal Bowers (@FergalBowers) March 22, 2020
That number of doctors returning to the country would be a massive boost to the HSE, so hopefully something can be done to ensure they are able to get to Ireland.
