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IRELAND’S CHIEF MEDICAL officer has urged more people to wear face masks in public.
Dr Tony Holohan warned that the mission to suppress coronavirus is not yet accomplished.
His comments came on a day when Ireland moved to the second phase of its accelerated lockdown exit plan, with shops opening across the country and relaxations on the extent to which people can travel and socialise.
The coronavirus death toll in the country rose to 1,683 yesterday after a further four deaths were announced.
There were only nine new confirmed cases of the virus, the lowest daily tally since the early days of the outbreak in March.
There have been a total of 25,207 people infected since the emergency began.
The government advises the wearing of face masks on public transport, in retail outlets and other indoor settings where social distancing may prove challenging. It is only guidance and not mandatory.
Dr Holohan told a Covid-19 media briefing that he had been shopping himself at the weekend, wearing a mask, and was struck by the number of people who did not have one on.
“I did notice that the majority of people were not wearing masks, and it is our clear recommendation … that people in those settings should wear them,” he said.
“And maybe the shops and retail environments might take steps to remind the public of the importance of sticking to the advice we’re giving.”
He stressed that face masks were only an additional hygiene measure and were not a substitute for other precautions, such as hand washing and social distancing.
The CMO said there remained a reluctance to making the wearing of masks and face shields mandatory.
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“I think that we can get further progress on the implementation of that guidance, and I think we can do better,” he said.
“And I think part of our reluctance in moving in the direction of mandatory is because we know the evidence isn’t absolutely firm and clear, the scientific consensus is not firm and clear in relation to face masks.
“But we believe it’s sufficiently robust for us to, when we think about that guidance, when we look at things from a precautionary point of view, for us to recommend the use of face masks as an additional measure in the settings in which we have identified – indoor settings, particularly retail and public transport.
We think it will be an important additional hygiene measure, but we are sensitive to the fact that some people cannot wear face masks for medical reasons and there are good reasons why that may well be the case. And so we’re stopping short of making it mandatory, but we keep all of this under review.
“But right now I don’t see us having a change but I think we will redouble our efforts and we’ll redouble our efforts to advise the public about the importance of wearing masks in public and in retail situations, which is why we keep stressing it.”
Dr Holohan welcomed the relatively low number of infections announced on Monday and acknowledged that the key indicators of Covid-19 remained on a downward trajectory.
But he cautioned: “Mission has not been accomplished.
“We have two more phases to go. We’re in the second phase now of the easing of restrictions.
“We’re only halfway through this.”
Re-opening
More people were able to return to work yesterday, including all those who work on their own or whose work could be done safely while staying two metres apart from others.
All retail stores were able to reopen, but opening times will be staggered to relieve pressure on public transport.
The easing of restrictions now allows people to travel up to 20km from their home, or further if they can remain within their own county.
Groups of up to six are able to interact indoors with social distancing, and groups of up to 15 are able to meet for outdoor sporting activities.
Work took place across the weekend at shops to prepare their premises for reopening, with social distancing markers being placed on the ground as well as signage.
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In Dublin city centre, queues formed from before 10.30am yesterday, when many shops reopened.
A couple wearing face masks shopping in Dublin’s Henry Street yesterday
Temporary public toilets opened in the city centre, as they remain closed in cafes, restaurants and shopping centres.
A long queue formed outside the Zara store on Dublin’s South King Street, with limited numbers allowed in at a time to accommodate social distancing.
There was a priority queue for older shoppers in several stores, to allow them to shop between 10am and noon.
Customers were told to use the hand sanitiser at the entrance and staff in most shops wore gloves and masks.
A group of friends from Dublin were among the first to enter the Zara store.
Sarah Keane, 17, said: “We weren’t anxious about going into the shops again after all these weeks. We have loads of hand sanitiser and gloves with us and the shops aren’t allowed to be packed.”
In Ballymun in Dublin, hundreds of people joined the queue to get into the Ikea store, which stretched far beyond the store.
People who are 70 or older, or are medically vulnerable, were able to have visitors in their homes from yesterday, with social distancing observed and the wearing of masks advised.
Up to 25 people are now allowed to attend funerals.
Public libraries are able to reopen, as are playgrounds and outdoor camps for children, provided there are no more than 15 people involved, and some elite sports training will be possible.
Horse and greyhound racing resumed without spectators.
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Unless I’m mistaken, holohan advocated against wearing masks until very recently and certainly refused to mandate wearing them. With so many mixed messages coming from the experts, it’s difficult for the public to know what to do. I’ve worn a mask in closed public spaces since the beginning
@Oracle Steve: those sre medicsl grade masks which block everything. They are impractic aal for th e general public and more expensive and in shorter supply.
@Anne Marie Devlin: consider that he didn’t want to cause strain on the supply chains for those who needed them most. I.e nurses and doctors, lack of foresight is astounding.
@Mick Flynn: you have a chance to ask the right questions. Join our national Corona citizens science project (next Wednesday 17th of June) and submit your questions now
@Anne Marie Devlin: I do understand what your saying. However there has become an urgency to bring things back to some normality. People are starting to gather in larger numbers, so I would agree with him about the mask. I have to wear one at all times were I work.
Provide a few free masks to ever citizen. Lately an all Irish text Covid-19 guise was posted to every home in the country, most going straight to the bin. Free Masks would surely see a far more productive response.
@sean de paore: that’s precisely what many countries did, in Singapore the government distributed masks, in Portugal the councils distributed masks and in Austria retailers were offering free masks to customers!
Should be made mandatory as is the case elsewhere in the world.
@Gabriel Chagas: and what happens to those of us that can’t wear masks for one reason or another? Like me, or my mother? They haven’t been made mandatory because there are many reasons people can’t wear them.
Just make it mandatory to wear a mask in certain situations. People are getting blase about the whole thing, which is human nature. Why wait till infection figures start to creep up again before we act?
@Connoroconner: mandatory on public transport should be an absolute minimum. I would hope some shops would make them mandatory too but they may be worried it will affect their bottom line.
@Aidan O’ Neill: if they did this, my family would starve. I’m the only one in the house that does the main shop, and I can’t wear anything that covers my face.
My mother is high risk and also can’t physically keep a mask on because of the shape of her ears, and my dad doesn’t have the patience to do a proper shop, which tends to mean my own groceries especially are ignored. All he would buy is milk, bread, bananas and corned beef. I am lactose and wheat intolerant. Therefore, I do the shop to make sure we have what we need in. Make masks mandatory, and that doesn’t happen.
@Mirabelle Stonegate: I think they would not be mandatory for individuals like yourself Mirabelle, who have a condition that makes wearing them unsafe for you. They are proven to be effective. If everyone wore one in crowded places like supermarkets and buses, then the possibility of infection would significantly decrease. You would also be better protected from those around you, even if you are not wearing a mask. The ethos behind the concept of wearing masks is; “I protect you – You protect me”. Let’s all look out for each other and kill this virus together. Nobody wants to return to lockdown or dying family & friends.
Did we ever hit the 15k a day tests? How many daily tests are we doing now? Would be very interesting if we did 15,000 tests yesterday and only had 9 positive cases.
@Edwardson Mike: We’re not doing 15k tests a day (but we have the capacity to do so). Simple reason being that there’s not enough people being referred for testing right more. People aren’t presenting with any symptoms to GP. We can’t test what’s not out there!
@Edwardson Mike: I find there’s too little cases . It would be interesting to know the amount of tests at the moment . I’ll give you Portugal’s example : some 350 employees in meat factories, fruit companies and construction were positive. 14 k screening tests in the last week to their contacts and the contacts’ contacts resulted in circa 3k positive tests, 30% of those asymptomatic patients. Either we are testing all “ rings “ of contacts here or we’re getting a deceitful low number.
They won’t make them mandatory because they think someone might ask the Government to supply them. Their information on masks has been poor. No campaign on how and when to wear, how to wash etc. I haven’t heard or seen one ad on it. They only started half saying it about a week or two again. A quick tv and radio campaign on how to go about it and maybe some advice on how to make masks (really easy with a spare sock and scissors) and behaviours will change. Maybe some shops should insist on masks too.
@Aidan O’ Neill: In France the government supplied all households with masks for free. In the States, shops will provide them if you don’t have your own.
@Aidan O’ Neill: My mother made a mask using a sock and her creation had the heel of the sock where her mouth is. The end result was hilarious and it looked like her tounge was constantly sticking out.
There’s a simple solution for that : make them mandatory in public closed spaces and transport otherwise most people don’t wear them. Getting a bus is frightening, most with no masks and most windows closed. It’s ridiculous.
@Isabel Oliveira: I have to get a bus in a couple of weeks, and can’t wear a mask. It’s just as well they aren’t mandatory, or I wouldn’t be able to take that bus.
I’ve reconsidered my stance on mask wearing after being coughed on at least 3 times in one shop yesterday by ignorant swines. Some people clearly need to have masks stapled to their ears to protect others around them.
Perhaps the government should run a campaign on the proper use of masks since I’ve seen far too many people wearing them over their mouth but not their nose.
@InvaderSkoodge: So true. Make masks mandatory please. There are very simple and effective videos on you tube on how to apply and remove a face mask safely. The main thing to remember is to disinfect your hands BEFORE putting on and AFTER taking off.
Just advise to wear them in public, fullstop. It would be a simpler message. I would guess the people who are wearing them in the shops are typically wearing them all the time in public. Taking them on and off when you’re out depending on where you are is too much friction for most to be bothered with. On top of that, in the city, even outdoors people are much closer – and probably closer than they are indoors where physical distancing markers are present and enforced.
Why is he saying this now? It should have been a priority of the government from the beginning to obtain sufficient supplies of medical grade face masks and other protective apparel for hospital and nursing home staff and the general population.
Writing from Luxembourg I’m flabbergasted by the Irish government’s policy and lack of clarity on this. It is very clear and obvious that wearing an item of clothing that covers the mouth or nose prevents you from spreading the disease to others. Its not about protecting yourself, its about protecting others.
In Luxembourg I cannot walk into any building (shopping centre, supermarket, post office etc) or get on public transport without something covering my nose and mouth.Its written everywhere and its unfathomable now to think you could walk into a supermarket for example without such a covering (a taboo akin to smoking in an Irish pub). The government did provide 50 disposable surgical masks for every citizen here (delivered by their military which is actually properly funded and paid) but most people wear scarfs or snoods or fashionable homemade masks instead.
The word from my family and friends in Ireland is that very few people are wearing masks, even in supermarkets. Even the picture accompanying this article shows people looking at the couple wearing masks as though it was something highly unusual. I personally find this incredible. Its not rocket science and its such an easy, inexpensive and obvious step to take to avoid the spread of this virus.
I won’t wear one unless it’s mandatory because I have deviated septum and feel like I’m suffocating but from one’s wearing them I think they think it gives them superpowers in shops they walk up right to your face they pull on them all the time then handle everything in the shop they pull them down to talk then walk around with then under chin but when want to push by you pull back up because it’s an invisible shield, most are spreading more germs then anyone else constantly handling them and their nose and mouth ears hair..hands are rife with germs. so no unless ordered to do so won’t be wear one
@nelliekel: They should be mandatory but people also need to be educated in how to wear them properly. It’s not rocket science. Simple rules: Wash hands before applying. Wash hands after removing. Don’t touch the mask when it’s on you. Don’t wear under nose. Don’t remove to talk. Masks are effective. They save lives.
Make your mind up? We were practical told not to wear them first, now were told different. 2 meter rule seem to almost get bent when it didn’t suit the smaller hospitality venues!! Is it just a case of we had no masks few weeks back now there everywhere 10 for a 5 er. Either tell us the truth or let the politicians tell us the ‘ safe’ version of what fits in with the economic landscape
@Braonain Proinseas: Not really that much of a dilemma, it’s a precautionary measure like using any other form of ppe…
Is there an identifiable hazard or risk?
What control measures can be put in place to reduce or remove the hazard or risk?
What measures can be implemented to separate people from the hazard or risk?
What ppe can be used to protect individuals that have to operate in the environment with the hazard or risk?
In this instance the hazard or risk is, exposure to or transmission of covid 19, the appropriate control measures are, reducing contacts, social distancing, hand washing, hand sanitiser when washing is unavailable, mask or face coverings worn over both the mouth and nose at all times when in contact with people outside your domestic setting.
Gloves may be appropriate for carrying out specific time limited tasks, but should not be worn continuously, because they prevent hand wash and act as a transmission medium for covid 19 and other viruses and bacteria by impeding hand washing and sanitising.
I will when there’s a tax relief available on the purchase of them. Pinned to the wall with extra costs of working during this pandemic as it is. Proper PPE, not a cotton wrap with kitchen roll which is virtually useless in my opinion.
Surgical masks are becoming more cheap & readily available now as more companies internationally and nationally are going into the manufacturing of them. They can be bought for less than €1 each and I guarantee you that this price will drop over the near future. These are 3ply masks which are better than cloth masks which can be heavy, less effective and less breathable. Remember blue/green side out and white side in, when wearing. Make masks mandatory in crowded indoor places – “I protect you + You protect me”. Ps: This is not a sponsored comment – just a concerned citizen.
Wearing a mask helps me on a psychological basis but so few people are wearing them its a lost cause . You feel like a crank . We need direction . Is it a yes or a no
There was a very interesting study done recently with mice and the effectiveness of face masks. Over 1 week scientists placed a mask between the cage of an infected mouse and the cage of uninfected mice (with a fan blowing air from the infected mouse to uninfected mice). They then carried out the same test without a mask separating the 2 cages. The rate of infection jumped when the mask was removed.
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