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THE IRISH HOTELS Federation (IHF) has released a statement today describing “limitations” in how updated public health advice is communicated by government to industries that need to reflect this new advice.
The IHF also said it had “no role in organising or providing clearance” for the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society event in Galway on Wednesday that has prompted resignations and engulfed the government in turmoil.
On Thursday night, the Irish Examiner broke the story that around 80 people attended an Oireachtas Golf Society function in Clifden, Co Galway. TDs, Senators, an EU Commissioner and a Supreme Court judge were among those in attendance.
As the story evolved into a full-blown scandal on Friday, the IHF released a statement saying it had sought clarification from the Department of Tourism on indoor gatherings prior to the event.
On Tuesday, the government unveiled a range of fresh guidance on social gatherings and sport, as well as powers to enforce public health measures following concerns about a spike in the number of cases of the coronavirus in recent weeks.
The mass gatherings section of the new guidance outlines that indoor gatherings and events are now limited to six people from no more than three households. However, there is an exception for weddings for the time being.
Prior to Tuesday, up to 50 people have been permitted to attend indoor weddings, guidelines which now remains in place as the government said they wish to review the matter.
In its statement today, the IHF said it works closely with government to ensure “robust operational procedures and industry guidelines are in place and effectively communicated” during the crisis.
It works with the Department of Tourism and Fáilte Ireland to inform hotels and guesthouses of their public health responsibilities, including changes as and when they happen.
It said: “The IHF provides general guidance, and at all times we encourage hotels and guesthouses to comply with the required guidelines. We do not have any role in enforcing, monitoring or approving the implementation of this guidance or operational guidelines.”
The IHF said that when updated public health guidance is announced at government press conferences, there is a “time-lag” in how this updated advice should be reflected in the operational guidelines for the sector.
“As a result of this time-lag, there is an established process in place with the Department of Tourism for when changes are announced in that the status quo remains in place until updated guidance is issued by the Department,” it said.
“This means that the new advice does not come into effect for tourism businesses until updated guidance is developed and communicated through the Department. This time-lag can create significant challenges, given public expectations around newly announced government advice.”
According to the IHF, such a situation took place this week in relation to the golf event.
On Wednesday morning, it said the organisers of the event contacted the IHF in relation to the updated guidelines announced the day before.
At that time, it said no update had been provided by the Department of Tourism. Later that day, however, it said the department informed the IHF that the existing guidance remained until clarification was received from the Department of Health.
This existing guidance allowed for a maximum of 50 people at an indoor gathering.
The IHF said it then informed all hotels and guesthouses that the existing guidance would remain until clarification was provided.
It wasn’t until Friday that the IHF received interim guidance from Fáilte Ireland, which included the provision of gatherings being restricted to six people indoors – with an exception for weddings.
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The horse bolted last weekend when FG gave thousands of northern Italians a big Cead mile Failte.
41.7bn to bail out casino banks and all the pain that entailed. 2bn of which 480ml is dedicated to saving lives.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: we’ve the Cheltenham hangover to look forward to as well. Only defence of our government would be our European neighbors weren’t acting urgently either. Would have taken visionary leadership to swallow the economic impact early on. And there is an inevitability the virus sneaks into every country at some stage and spreads for a while unnoticed. So spreading the economic impact over a larger period is possibly another legitimate approach.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: Do you know how many tickets were bought by Italians, how many people were from northern Italy (near the affected areas) and how many of those actually travelled? I can’t find anything on Google.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: that banking crisis had a fatality rate that nobody likes to talk about but you keep taking your cheap shots. Also, if you hadn’t noticed, it’s not up to FG to cancel flights, it’s up to the airlines and thankfully they have now.
@Dave O’Keeffe: a bit late now the italian invasion was last week
@Dave O’Keeffe: it’s up to FG. Under our constitution they are still the government in power , we are supposed to be a sovereign country and as the government they control our borders .
@☘: tell it to Ryanair and Aer Lingus. They y é just shown that it was up to them all along.
@Paul Furey: The Po valley is the home and the main fan base of Rugby in Italy. Also the most populous region. Estimates for last weekend were between 3000 and 7000. FG are currently pumping out shock headlines to deflect from their culpability.
@Eileen O’Sullivan: the IRFU said they sold 2500 tickets
@Eileen O’Sullivan: Two false starts but no horse bolted yet.
Close the schools
@thenewguy: this sort of nonsense is going to draw into recession, less than 30 cases in a country of almost 5 million
Get a grip
@Dannys Dentures: Not 30 of 5million, it’s 30 out of the number tested people which I suspect is extremely low considering they were boasting a figure or 200tested in a week last week
Acting early avoids the health system being overwhlemed:
https://flowingdata.com/2020/03/09/flatten-the-coronavirus-curve/
Close the schools.
Are GAA matches which draw larger crowds been reviewed or cancelled.
@Seán Dillon: I live right beside croke Park and am not looking forward to the 15&17th of March. The stadium will be full and the amount of people gathering around on the streets will be hugh. Have sent an email to the lady in Croke Park who looks after everything in the community but she hasn’t answered. Doubt she will because the GAA don’t like to loose money. It’s not fair on the elderly who live in the area to potential put them at risk.
@Olivia Smith: as long as Croke Park area residents aren’t standing outside their houses looking for people to cough on them it shouldn’t really cause them any extra problem as long as they’re taking the recommended precautions.
@Pseud O’Nym: We don’t lock ourselves in doors you know? People need to go out for different things. It’s a mass gathering and should be treated the same as the rugby and parade. Don’t worry I’m sure your ticket will be ok to use later in the year when they have to reschedule it. Also the people who work in bars and shops around are at risk. So silly comment in my opinion.
Its not inevitable that we become another Italy, with hundred or more, dying every day, if we learn from China and act now and put the country in lock down. If we wait any longer, it will be too late so why wait to put the country will go in lock down, only when the virus is at its peak.
@GO GREEN: HSE wanted confirmed cases before they believed it was a problem need I say more?
@GO GREEN: Yes its crazy, we know what should be done but they will not do it until it is too late just like in Italy.
From a friend of mine in Italy! -
The world should learn from us in Italy.
Most of the people said it’s a flu, we gotta keep living normally, blah blah blah, and now?
We’re completely in lockdown, 9k+ infected and lots of people dying every day.
ICU collapsing, not enough machineries, no beds, doctors getting infected.
If only people took it seriously right away, instead of saying bullshit, going out with friends at bars, going against the law and authorities and underestimating the problem, we wouldn’t be in such a dangerous situation, with riots even in prisons and doctors forced to save ONLY the patients without other underlying issues and healthier, with more life expectancy.
Did the government allow Cheltenham to take place because they also wanted some big ships with sick people on board?
@Tommy C: it is not up to the Government to cancel Cheltenham.That would be up to the UK Horse Racing Authority,
I get your point, I think it should be cancelled. I think both UK and Irish goverment are not doing enough to contain this. I was watching Siimon Coveney on Claure Byrne show last night he seemed hell bent on the ‘delay phase’ which is a protracted spread of the virus over a long period such as 18 months rather than an explosion of the virus like italy… UK seem to be on the same scenario, which means, the chances are we will all get it at some stage… it’s the cheaper option they are taking..
@Paul O’Sullivan: they are taking that option because it is the only one that makes any sense at this point. An explosion like in Italy would totally overwhelm ours, or any, health service. Better to have 10,000 a month for ten months rather than 100,000 at the same time. Is that not obvious? Italy is struggling, they’re having to decide who gets the intensive care beds, the old person who probably wont survive or the younger person who might have a better chance. Doctors there are now making those decisions every day.
@Connoroconner: I agree, people need to realise this is going to be a long haul, sooner a vaccine is available the better…. everyone needs to wise up to this policy of ‘delay phase’ as well as containment.
Its scandalous just shut the country down.
Looking online for a cheap ticket to Wuhuan. Yes, I have a particular type of wish.:-)
@Arya: I’d rather swim with Great Whire Sharks,
Out of the first 12 articles here on the journal, 10 are about the coronavirus.
@Jason Ebbs:
Coronavirus is in one way or another going to affect everyone in the country with a potential to cause a lot of deaths.
It’s an unknown at the moment so I can assure you that I want to be kept up to date on it.
I never before witnessed such a “dooms-day mentality” If youse are all going to die before me please don’t forget me in your will. Thank youse.
They have to implement FULL lockdown as it is not too late yet, we have just few days to do it, ppl are too relaxed, the virus is not fully studied yet and apparently can have no symptoms whatsoever.
So will Aer Lingus refund me the flights they just cancelled on me?
have your say