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RollingNews.ie

Tony Holohan: Cocooners can meet socially-distanced groups of four from Monday

Holohan stressed that public health advice still recommends people in cocooning categories stay at home if not exercising.

CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER Dr Tony Holohan has said it would be appropriate for people in cocooning categories to meet small socially-distanced groups outdoors from Monday. 

Holohan’s comments come ahead of the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions on Monday which allows up to four people who do not live in the same household to meet up outdoors, as long as they maintain a two-metre distance.

The government’s guidelines for those who are cocooning in Phase One advises them to continue to follow the public health advice by avoiding physical contact with other people and staying at home as much as possible, except going out for exercise or a drive up to 5 km. 

Speaking at tonight’s Department of Health briefing, the chief medical officer said while the virus will continue to represent a significant challenge for those in cocooning categories it would be appropriate to partake in outdoor activities, “so long as they keep up the public messages that we are we are issuing”. 

“If you’re meeting and maintaining social distancing for very short periods of time, with numbers less than four people, I think that’s appropriate for somebody who’s in a cocooning category,” Holohan said. 

“But starting to recommend people go back into retail environments, we would still be advising against that for people who are cocooned.”

Holohan stressed that public health advice still recommends that people in cocooning categories stay at home, particularly for those in the medically vulnerable groups.

“It may well be that if you have a very specific condition, it’s the advice of your doctor which is important with respect to that,” Holohan said. 

“So some people with, who are on certain medications and are certain underlying conditions. It’s always the advice of individual doctors that they should seek in respect of their own activities.

It has been framed sometimes as ‘what we are allowing people to do’, this isn’t how we see it. This is public health advice that we’re giving to people. Advice to them that they can internalise, that they can take on board and understand, that’s about how they protect themselves as individuals and protect their families and communities. 

The Department of Health said the risk of transmission of Covid-19 can possibly increase as social interactions increase, which is why behaviours such as washing hands, social distancing and wearing face coverings “become even more important”.

Holohan added that if there is a change in the pattern of the disease, “we will respond to any of the indicators that will follow to address that”.

“These past weeks have been particularly difficult for those who have been cocooning from family, friends and society,” said Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain, Consultant Psychiatrist and HSE Integrated Care Lead. 

Today, I hope new measures will bring some relief to this group and that they know we as a society are supporting them wherever possible, including by adopting safe behaviours in physical distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. 

Since the government’s stay-at-home order was issued on 27 March, people aged over 70 and medically vulnerable people have been asked to stay at home at all times and avoiding face-to-face contact in a bid to prevent them contracting the virus.

Restrictions were eased on 5 May, allowing them cocooners to leave their homes for a walk or drive within 5km of their homes if they maintain distance from other people.

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39 Comments
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    Mute The Risen
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    May 15th 2020, 8:55 PM

    Guys, please please please remember, that this easing of restrictions does not mean that the virus is any less contagious or dangerous to our most vulnerable. It simply means that a decision has been made based on ICU capacity. Overall citizens have been playing a blinder, don’t drop the ball if you visit your loved ones.

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    Mute EvieXVI
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    May 15th 2020, 8:46 PM

    Thanks Tony, glad to have your permission to meet my own mother !

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    Mute Stan Kowalskis
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    May 15th 2020, 8:55 PM

    @EvieXVI: its amazing.over 4.5 million people have the virus with over 300 thousand dead and you get moronic comments like yours.do you think he’s doing it for a laugh do you?

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    May 15th 2020, 8:56 PM

    @EvieXVI: Time for Tony Holohan to leave the stage,He has effectively been Taoiseach now for 5 or6 weeks, we’ve seen enough of him. Time for the Government of the people to run the Country.

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    Mute EvieXVI
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    May 15th 2020, 9:07 PM

    @Stan Kowalskis: just FYI, it’s not moronic, it’s sarcastic.

    I am well aware of the stats and the risks but also of the fact that enforced isolation is not good for anyone. I have seen my mother and will continue to do so, taking care of course.

    And I will not apologise for saying that I resent the patronizing attitude of our government and HSE who are hell-bent on deflecting from their failures around testing and contract tracing.

    94
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    Mute mar
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    May 15th 2020, 9:18 PM

    @Stan Kowalskis: Who the fu<k are you to call someone a moron for seeing their family? It's absolutely none of your business.

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    Mute Emer Caffrey
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    May 15th 2020, 9:26 PM

    @EvieXVI: so you should be

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    Mute Jason Ebbs
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    May 15th 2020, 9:27 PM

    @EvieXVI: don’t be so silly. You were never not allowed see your mother. My father who is 77 and lives alone 35km away. 2/3 times a week I went over to check on him. If I was stopped at a checkpoint I told the Garda where I was going and why and there was never a problem.

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    Mute EvieXVI
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    May 15th 2020, 9:33 PM

    @Jason Ebbs: again – sarcasm

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    Mute Dino
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    May 16th 2020, 1:26 AM

    @EvieXVI: he never said you couldn’t meet her but if you read the article he advised against it for her safety. Its up to you and her what you do and whether you want to put her life in danger.

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    Mute @itweet_jake
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    May 16th 2020, 4:01 AM

    @EvieXVI: getting beyond ridiculous now; this lad literally dictating every movement we make at this point. Please let’s move to the Swedish model

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    Mute CD
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    May 16th 2020, 7:20 AM

    @@itweet_jake: You might as well gave said “please double the amount of covid deaths we have”

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    Mute Joe Toner
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    May 16th 2020, 7:34 AM

    @@itweet_jake:
    I could do with a Swedish model at the moment!!

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    Mute Katie O'Riordan
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    May 15th 2020, 9:19 PM

    I just don’t know what we are expected to do with kids. We can’t meet up with anyone without the kids at the moment and how do you expect a 2 year old to stay away from their cousins. I know the answer is just don’t meet at all but this social distancing is in all the phases and I’m sure ongoing past that so do we just not let our kids meet anyone for an indefinite amount of time? I’m not complaining but the way just curious as to what is expected and what others are doing with toddler especially

    58
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    Mute Ann Illing
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    May 16th 2020, 1:46 PM

    @Katie O’Riordan: social distancing can’t and won’t work long term.. It isn’t now.. Very little notice being taken of it.. And the numbers of cases are going down..

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    Mute Anne Marie Devlin
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    May 15th 2020, 9:40 PM

    Social isolation can have a huge impact on the elderly living alone. It’s the biggest preventable cause of dementia. Social interaction can decelerate the impact of dementia.

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    Mute Mary Oliver
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    May 15th 2020, 11:44 PM

    @Anne Marie Devlin: I totally agree as a person living alone with thankfully no underlying health condition I find it very difficult. I was used to going for long walks every day with the dog. What about people’s mental health over 8 weeks now. No company social media is not the same as proper social interaction.

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    Mute Alan McDonald
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    May 15th 2020, 8:40 PM

    Progress.

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    Mute Greg Daniel
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    May 15th 2020, 8:59 PM

    @Alan McDonald: the virus is still in Ireland, there has been 24 thousand people in Ireland get the virus in the last 2 months and 1,500 people have died.

    Why is it all so magical from this Monday the 18th May as opposed to two months ago on Monday 15 March when we went into hibernation?

    Factually it is an actually worse situation now than then.

    My point being what was the lockdown all about if it’s ok to come out of it now?

    53
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    Mute Joey Navinski
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    May 15th 2020, 9:12 PM

    @Greg Daniel: the lockdown was about flattening the curve and preventing the health service being overwhelmed. It is not a worse situation now than then. We are more aware and precautions have taken effect now, they hadn’t then.

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    Mute Greg Daniel
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    May 15th 2020, 9:22 PM

    @Joey Navinski: how is it in anyway safer for an over 70 year old or someone with an underlying condition now than it was back then?

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    Mute Chris Linehan
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    May 15th 2020, 9:47 PM

    @Greg Daniel: Like he said, people are taking more precautions: keeping distance, washing hands, more mindful when sneezing/coughing etc. There is still obviously a risk because the virus is among us but the means of spreading it are less than they were two months ago. People with underlying conditions will still likely catch the virus but the health system is better equipped to treat them should they need it.

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    Mute Greg Daniel
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    May 15th 2020, 9:57 PM

    @Chris Linehan: taking more precautions v lockdown are two separate things.

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    Mute Chris Linehan
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    May 15th 2020, 10:21 PM

    @Greg Daniel: the UK started off with a few minor precautions followed by a necessary lockdown and look where they’re at. People are moaning about lockdown restrictions, rights infringements and all the rest, claiming we should be back out and about as normal. The fact the restrictions were enacted when they were means we are where we are now with cases/deaths. The place would be a basket case of we didnt take the actions we did and the any igns of improvement would be wiped put if people start to go rushing back out.

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    Mute Hugh
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    May 15th 2020, 10:39 PM

    @Joey Navinski: It was never close to being overwhelmed

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    Mute Joey Navinski
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    May 15th 2020, 11:27 PM

    @Hugh: thankfully. I’m happy the government over-reacted rather than let it get out of hand. Very difficult to find the balance..

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    Mute Cian Nolan
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    May 15th 2020, 11:38 PM

    @Hugh: Because we took action.

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    Mute Dino
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    May 16th 2020, 1:31 AM

    @Chris Linehan: Why would you compare us to the UK when we have a far less population density and far younger demographic?

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    Mute Chris Linehan
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    May 16th 2020, 7:11 AM

    @Dino: Because we’ve a disaster happening right on our doorstep due to the slow actions of a government to react to the virus. To keep you happy, how about a comparison to New Zealand. Borders shut down early, lockdown in place early. Starting to re-open with hardly any new cases being reported. Stronger measures sooner may have lasted a shorter period of time and saved more lives. Faster to react with restrictions/controls means faster getting back to a level of normaility.

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    Mute Dino
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    May 16th 2020, 11:40 PM

    @Chris Linehan: different hemisphere, totally different environment for the virus to try and live and pass through hosts. See how they get on when their flu season kicks in which is peak conditions for transmission of respiratory viruses

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    Mute Oracle Steve
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    May 16th 2020, 12:32 AM

    Go to h€ll tony. I’ll meet who I want. I don’t need your permission. If they’re vulnerable they can stay away from me.

    I love how these people making decisions are all career public servants with guaranteed jobs and gold plated pensions.

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    Mute Dub Cell
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    May 16th 2020, 8:56 AM

    @Oracle Steve: Ignorance is bliss eh?

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    Mute Christybhoy67
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    May 15th 2020, 9:51 PM

    What are cocooners ?

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    Mute Mary Oliver
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    May 15th 2020, 11:45 PM

    @Christybhoy67: are you living under a rock?

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    Mute David cotter
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    May 15th 2020, 9:14 PM

    Great news for the silver swingers …….

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    Mute Dino
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    May 16th 2020, 1:34 AM

    This is ridiculous advice, let the healthy under 65s get back to work and cocoon the over 65s. Let the virus make its way through the population without overwhelming the ICU’s and then the virus will burn out and the over 65s should be safe. All this does is mean the ICU will be full in 2 to 3 months with over 65s again as they are the generation that know better than everyone and won’t follow the guidelines.

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    Mute Jamie
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    May 16th 2020, 9:22 AM

    @Dino: thanks for the advice professor

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    Mute Dino
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    May 16th 2020, 9:58 AM

    @Jamie: your thanks is welcome, I’m not a professor though, just someone offering an alternative opinion than the fiasco with our current method of dealing with it. We are doing nothing to actually try and beat this thing or prevent its return with our totally illogical actions.

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    Mute Sean Dermody
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    May 16th 2020, 10:45 AM
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