Tag Archives: Living with Covid-19 Plan

NEW guidance has been published on meetings for drug and alcohol, and other addiction support groups under Level 3 and Level 4 public health restrictions. On Tuesday, Minister Frank Feighan  published guidelines which permit face-to-face meetings in controlled circumstances. The issue had been raised by Senator Martin Conway when Dublin and Donegal entered Level 4 last month, when he called for support meetings to continue in-person, given the serious nature of addiction and the vulnerability of those who may not have access to online services. The guidance recommends holding meetings outdoors or online, where possible “without diluting the benefits for participants”. In cases where face-to-face group/programme meetings take place, organisers are advised to undertake a risk assessment to ensure the health, welfare and safety of participants. Individuals at higher risk from Covid-19, or in close contact with such individuals, are told to avoid faceto-face group/programmes meetings and instead attend meetings online. “The reality is that there are huge numbers of …

CLARE Marts have confirmed that its facilities will continue operations under Level 3 pandemic restrictions. The Department of Agriculture had indicated that marts are designated as an essential service, but suggested some may have some of their operating procedures adjusted to take account of the new national restrictions. Martin McNamara, general manager of Clare Marts noted that since re-opening of marts in early June, huge efforts had been made to adhere to national public health guidelines and to facilitate on-line sales to reduce the number of people attending in person. He also expressed the hope that the move to Level 3 would make it easier to enforce the regulations. “The move to Level 3 shouldn’t make any great difference,” he said. “The rules are already being strictly enforced with social distancing, masks, sanitisers and so on. The bottom line is, though, that people won’t be allowed in if they have no business at the mart, because numbers are restricted until …