Following on from Phase 2 of the COVID-19 Irish Government’s roadmap to reopen, below please find some communications updates as we enter Phase 3
COVID Tracker App now available to download
The HSE has created a free smartphone app to help improve contact tracing for COVID-19.
The app will make contact tracing faster and more accurate, reducing the spread of coronavirus.
Nearly 800,000 people have already downloaded the app today.
If you use the app, you can:
get an alert if you have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19
alert others if you test positive for coronavirus – this will help keep other people safe
track your symptoms and get advice on what to do if you’re sick
get regular updates, and protect yourself and others as we learn to live with COVID-19
The app protects your privacy and you keep control of your information. It exchanges secure, anonymous records via Bluetooth when people using it are in close contact with each other. It will never identify you to other app users and you cannot access each other’s information.
The COVID Tracker app is available on www.covidtracker.ie, or in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now.
Wellbeing ‘In This Together’
The joint Department of Health, Health6y Ireland and HSE campaign continues to give mental health and wellbeing advice across the country and local authorities, through Healthy Ireland, are also rolling it out on a regional basis.
New videos covering the following topics have been added here:
1. Positive Posture while working from home: Anna O’Brien, Senior Physiotherapist, HSE
2. Tips for quitting smoking: Miriam O’Shea, Smoking Cessation Officer, HSE
Stay Safe. Protect each other. Wear a face covering.
Everyone in Ireland has helped to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and worked together in difficult circumstances to save many lives. Now that our services and communities are re-opening, we all want to stay safe and keep protecting each other from coronavirus. We do this by cleaning our hands, social distancing and covering sneezes and coughs.
We can also do this by wearing a face covering. Face coverings help prevent people who don’t know they have the virus from spreading it to others. They should be worn anywhere it’s difficult to stay 2m apart, like shops or public transport, or when visiting anyone who is more at risk. This includes people aged over 70, or people who are medically vulnerable.
Wear a face covering to show your support for others, and to help in our fight against coronavirus.
The Department of Health and the HSE will be supporting people to do this with an advertising campaign on radio, social media, posters, search advertising and publicity. The TV ad will start week commencing 23rd June.
Listen to the radio ad here. You can find information on face coverings here.
Visits to Residential Care Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic
You can find information from the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on visiting people who live in residential care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic from 15 June 2020 here.
Visitors at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic
You can find information from the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on visitors at home here.
Family Carers Ireland
Family Carers Ireland is running a virtual Carers’ Coffee Club for family carers every Thursday from 11am to 11:30am where health and wellbeing experts offer support and advice and take questions via Facebook Live. There is no need to register and those wishing to join in should simply visit facebook.com/familycarers on Thursdays at 11am. All previous sessions can be viewed at facebook.com/familycarers/live. For more information on this initiative or for general support please contact the Freephone National Careline 1800 24 07 24.
Public Health Information:
For the most up-to-date information and advice on Coronavirus, please see:
Department of Health DOH: https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/c36c85-covid-19-coronavirus/
Health Service Executive HSE: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/
Health Protection Surveillance Centre HPSC: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus
