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Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan speaking at the Department of Health this evening. Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

House parties being 'organised with abandon', warns Chief Medical Officer

Dr Tony Holohan was speaking ahead of a planned easing of Covid-19 restrictions on Monday.

HOUSE PARTIES ARE being organised “with abandon”, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has warned. 

Speaking at the Department of Health briefing this evening, Holohan said: “I think we all know from our personal lives, house parties are being organised with abandon, it seems to me, as though we weren’t in the midst of a pandemic.”

“That’s a continuing cause for concern,” he said. 

Holohan was responding to a question about any worries he had as Ireland prepares to enter Phase Two of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

“I just have two messages. One is to people who are organising these events, that’s one thing. There’s a responsibility. But then there are also people who voluntarily attend them. And you can choose not to,” he said. 

“There will come a point in time where we think certain activities that are indoor in nature can happen in controlled ways,” Holohan said. “But we’re really not at the point now where we think that house parties and gathering indoors is appropriate.”

This evening, the Department of Health confirmed that a further five people with Covid-19 have died in Ireland, and there have been 38 new cases. 

This brings to 1,664 the total number of people with Covid-19 who have died in this country.

The National Public Health Emergency Team met today to finalise recommendations on whether Ireland can move on to Phase Two or not.

Cabinet is meeting tonight and tomorrow at Dublin Castle to discuss the recommendations, and a public announcement will be made tomorrow on what Covid-19 measures will be in place for Phase Two, which is due to come into effect from Monday, 8 June.

The potential for a greater spread of the virus – and the potential for a second wave – have all been discussed in recent weeks as Ireland prepares to ease restrictions. 

“I know a lot of focus has been on some of the external and public gatherings on beaches and platforms and so on and Dart stations and such places. And those give us cause for concern, but it’s the unseen activity in between ordinary houses – very easy to understand – but we’re really not at the point where I think that kind of activity is something we can recommend,” Holohan said.

“I’m conscious it’ll appear to people as though we’re trying to identify every sort of pleasurable activity in life and finding some ways of recommending against it,” he added. 

However, he stressed that all recommendations were made based on “really good public health reasons”. 

“If you see a crowd, stay away. If you’re invited to something which is crowded, stay away. If you’re invited to something that you know is not in keeping with the public health advice, stay away.”

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    Mute Daniel Morrissey
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    Apr 17th 2021, 12:20 AM

    Roll on the 26th change…. yawn…

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Apr 17th 2021, 12:56 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: lol. I know how you feel. How many bloomin people over 65 are in the country. They seem to go on forever hahaha

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    Mute Peter McGlynn
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    Apr 17th 2021, 1:12 AM

    @Anna Carr: I don’t know how many. How many people voted Fianna Fáil? In or around that amount.

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    Mute Ger
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    Apr 17th 2021, 3:06 AM

    @Anna Carr: it literally tells you in the article

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Apr 17th 2021, 3:16 AM

    @Ger: ah lighten up ger her comment was tongue in cheek jayus what are you not seeing there?

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 17th 2021, 5:13 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: well yeah, can’t make them deliver it faster or make it ourselves so that’s what we have to do.

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    Mute Anto Curran
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    Apr 17th 2021, 8:00 AM

    @Peter McGlynn: obsessed with FF. Unless you’re playing an online game where you can try to fit FF into every comments section?

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    Mute Barbara Stewart
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    Apr 17th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @Anna Carr: Sorry for being 69 and delaying your vaccination….I could have said the same about all over 70s but I have a bit more respect!!!

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    Mute Tony Humphreys
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    Apr 17th 2021, 1:54 AM

    You lost me at the word ‘plan’. I always thought they there was only one plan – lockdown. Why do something when you can get away with nothing.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 17th 2021, 5:14 AM

    @Tony Humphreys: well you thought wrong and then refused to think about it anymore

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    Mute Keith Richardson
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    Apr 17th 2021, 1:54 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: well there is no published plan on reopening. I’m sure there’s one on a desk somewhere. If people were treated like adults and told this then there would be increased confidence.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 18th 2021, 5:32 AM

    @Keith Richardson: no, if there was a widely publicised plan with an unpredictable pandemic and unreliable delivery schedules any changes would undermine the confidence you claim it would bring.

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    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
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    Apr 17th 2021, 8:02 AM

    The fact we still likely won’t restart tourism and hospitality till June or July is just mind boggling, especially given the fact MM despite some who said it was lies when I pointed out that leaky Leo said the same thing, that he can’t say we won’t go into another lockdown after this one. And given the fact the hse management seem to have done nothing except allow the waiting list balloon and get themselves a pay rise, any extra surge from even a few covid cases over the winter months makes this likely since they now have a great excuse to cover up they barely cope any winter before covid hit. So this means a lot of small businesses and retail included as well may only have a small window to open and make some much needed money, meanwhile north will be full steam ahead open end of May.

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Apr 17th 2021, 8:35 AM

    So the AstraZeneca isnt safe to use on under 60s but is safe for under 60s who received 1st dose?? Think il pass on the second thanks. Back of the que I go lol

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 18th 2021, 5:34 AM

    @Siobhan Rosemary: that silly. 1 in a million died of a blood clot that nobody knew to be looking for. That’s different now. 12 in a million died of covid here and doctors were definitely looking for it.

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    Mute K Flan
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    Apr 17th 2021, 11:26 AM

    2 more weeks to flatten the curve

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Apr 18th 2021, 5:35 AM

    @K Flan: the curve is flattened. Sadly the base rate is still over 300 cases per day.

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    Mute Sean Callan
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    Apr 17th 2021, 7:26 AM

    Boring boring boring all this lot has to offer

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