News

Public Health Measures

The following counties are at Level 3:
Donegal
Dublin

The rest of Ireland is currently at Level 2.
You can download a graphic of all of the levels here of the National Framework for Living with COVID-19.

 

COVID-19 Contact Management Programme Overview
You can view the updated information for the COVID-19 Contact Management Programme here.

 

HSE Webinar: COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Guidance in Disability
This webinar will take place on Friday, 2nd October from 12-1pm. You can pre-register for the webinar on this link.
Irish dial in number: 01 5260058                                  Access code: 163 086 2572

 

HSE Webinar: The Role of Advocacy in Supporting Decision-Making, Particularly During COVID-19
This webinar will take place on Thursday, 8^th October from 11am-1pm. You can pre-register for the webinar on this link.
Irish dial in number: 01 526 0058                               Access code: 137 631 4962

 

Publication of New Visitation Guidance for Nursing Homes
The new COVID-19 Guidance on visitations to Long Term Residential Care Facilities is available here on the HPSC website.

 

Quitting Smoking and COVID-19
Research shows that those who smoke are more susceptible to all types of respiratory infections. This coming winter season it is more important than ever that we protect ourselves from flu and coronavirus. Just like flu, a coronavirus infection may be more severe in people who smoke. The good news is that quitting smoking helps build up your natural resistance to all types of infections including coronavirus.

That’s why, this October, which is Quit Month, we have launched a campaign to encourage people who smoke to quit by taking 28-day stop smoking challenge. You will see and hear Quit ads on TV, social media and on the radio for the month of October. We would we grateful if you could share information about the campaign with your networks and share our messages on your social media channels if appropriate. The HSE’s Quit Service is on-hand to give lots of practical support. ​

Get in touch with the Quit Service today

Twitter: @HSEQuitTeam                   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HSEquit/

Instagram: hse_quit

Hashtag: #QuitandWin #TheLastStop

 

HSE and Irish Hospice Foundation Bereavement Support Line 1800 80 70 77
COVID-19 restrictions have changed the traditional ways we mark our grief. This means many people are facing bereavement in isolation. Many people have experienced and will experience the death of someone they love during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the face of such loss, the Irish Hospice Foundation Bereavement Support Line, in partnership with the HSE, has been launched to provide connection, comfort and support in these exceptional times.

 

National Breastfeeding Week (1st to 7th October) – COVID-19 and Breastfeeding
It’s National Breastfeeding Week 2020. This year the theme is supports for breastfeeding during a pandemic. The ‘Ask Our Breastfeeding Expert’ service on the HSE’s mychild.ie has seen an increase of 57% in queries over recent months. The team of lactation consultants provides advice to parents by message and live chat. You can find out more here. 

Webinars on different breastfeeding topics are taking place over the coming week for healthcare professionals, breastfeeding supporters and families. You can access the details here. 

Breastmilk has anti-infective and anti-inflammatory factors which helps babies to fight infections. There is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is transmitted through breastmilk. Breastfeeding is encouraged as normal. Advice on breastfeeding if you have a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 is available here.

 

Launch of Healthy Eating Guidelines and Vit D for 1-4 year olds
The new National Healthy Eating Guidelines for one to four year olds aim to help parents establish good eating habits in their children. As we face into winter and the daily challenges that COVID-19 poses, feeding our children and indeed ourselves healthily will help our overall physical and mental health.

Developed by nutrition experts in Ireland and based on international evidence, the guidelines include a newly designed children’s food pyramid which will help people understand what their child should be eating, what portion sizes look like and how seldom treats should be given. They also include new advice for parents on Vitamin D for children aged one to four.

There is a suite of resources including the food pyramid for children, meal plans, etc available online to download here. Parents can also find information at www.mychild.ie/nutrition.

 

Public Health Information
As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

 Please also check here for the most up to date partner resources for COVID-19.

You can view the latest information on how Ireland is responding to cases of COVID-19 here.

Public Health Measures
The Government announced on Friday that the county of Dublin will be placed on Level 3 of the Framework for Restrictive Measures. This action is based on a review of the current public health advice and is in response to the deteriorating situation with the virus in Dublin over the past number of weeks. Dublin will remain at Level 3 until 9th October, at which point the situation will be reviewed by the Government based on public health advice.

The rest of the country remains at Level 2 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 available here.

Symptoms & Testing TV ad
The HSE’s new COVID-19 Symptoms and Testing TV ad went live on Saturday, 12^th August. The ad sets out the common symptoms of COVID-19 – cough, fever, breathing difficulties, changes to your sense of taste or smell – and encourages people to self-isolate and phone their GP if they have symptoms. The ad also highlights that the GP coronavirus consultation and COVID-19 test are free. You can watch our Symptoms & Testing ad on our YouTube channel.

 

Remote Healthcare – new video
Over the coming months, anyone who has a healthcare appointment may be given the option to have a phone or video consultation instead of attending in person. This short video helps to explain how this works.

 

Public Health Information
As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

Public Health Measures – You can view the latest national public health measures here.

 

Public Health Advice Information for People Who Have Just Arrived in Ireland – Easy Read Version
This easy read booklet is about coming to Ireland from another country, and explains the rules to stop Coronavirus (COVID-19) from spreading.

This booklet is also available in Slovak, Czech and Romanian available here, with further translations available soon.

 

Living with COVID-19 Posters
The latest COVID-19 posters, “Step up and step back” and “Masking for a friend” are available for downloading and printing. We are grateful for your help in sharing these important messages.

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COVID-19 Resources for Schools and Parents Schools can download and print these posters to raise awareness about preventing the spread of coronavirus in schools and other settings. For more information and resources for schools and parents, please see gov.ie/backtoschool

 

New Emergency Card Scheme for Family Carers
Family Carers Ireland (FCI), in partnership with An Garda Siochana, the National Ambulance Service Community First Responder Schemes, The Irish Red Cross and The Order of Malta has developed a new Emergency Card Scheme for family carers.  If a family carer is involved in an accident, has an unplanned hospital admission or is suddenly taken ill, there is a risk that the person who needs their care and support could be left at home alone and uncared for. The Emergency Card Scheme (free to family carers with access to a 24/7 emergency helpline) is intended to give peace of mind to family carers as well as ensuring that the person they care for remains safe in such emergencies. It involves completion of an Emergency Care plan by the family carer including nominating two people (family members/friends) to take over their caring role in such an emergency and the issuing by FCI of an Emergency Card to family carers who sign up to the scheme. Where a family carer cannot nominate two people or where their nominated person cannot be reached in the event of an emergency then FCI will link with other agencies/service providers and/or emergency services to ensure a care plan is put in place for the cared for person.

You can download the Emergency Care Plan here. For more details on the scheme, please go to www.familycarers.ie or call Family Carer’s Ireland Freephone Careline 1800 24 07 24. The scheme is kindly supported by Irish Life and the Dormant Accounts Fund.

 

Community Swabbers
The HSE is recruiting for the role of Community Swabber to work in the COVID-19 Community Testing Teams. The Community Swabber will take samples from the nose and throat of people who are being tested for COVID-19, and carry out other administrative duties, as part of the Community Testing Teams around the country. Swabbing can take place in Community Test Centres, home-based testing, outbreak testing, residential care facilities and specific work locations. The roles will primarily be filled on a 12-month contract basis and the employer will be the HSE.

You can read more about this role and how to apply here.

 

Dementia: Understand Together – Champions’ Café
Join us on September 30th from 12.30-1.30pm for our first Virtual Champion’s Café to:

• Hear people with dementia and community champions talk about their experience with dementia;
• Find out the actions we can all take to support a person with dementia in communities, also now during COVID – 19; and
• Get advice from a health care professional on how we can all prepare ourselves for the colder months and stay well.

Places are limited, so please book your place by September 23^rd through this link.

The current coronavirus outbreak has been particularly difficult for people living with dementia, their family and friends.  Many have been cocooning or staying at home to minimise the risk of contracting COVID-19. To protect people with dementia from COVID-19, some services had to be changed, and they may also have been missing important social connections and activities crucial for wellbeing.

 

Ageing Voices Survey
Sing Ireland, the national group singing support agency, and Creative Aging International have come together to produce resources and best practice training programmes for musicians, carers and health care teams working with older people. To assist with on-going planning, they are inviting people to complete a survey accessible here about what type of tools or training might help. The survey can be completed before September 17^th.

 

Public Health Information:
As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

Public Health Measures
The special health measures that were in place in Kildare were lifted on the 31^st August. We are, however, still experiencing some increases in the rate of COVID around the country. Advice and restrictions are continuously being reviewed with recommendations being made by NPHET and the Government. These measures aim to protect our priorities – caring for vulnerable people, keeping health services open and getting children back to education.

 You can view the latest national public health measures here.

 

Protecting your Child from COVID-19
COVID-19 can affect children as well as adults, but cases of coronavirus are much less common in children. Children generally get a milder infection than adults or older people. Often, they have no symptoms. Children have rarely been the person who brought coronavirus into a household when household spread has happened. They are less likely than adults to spread infection to other people. You can find out more about protecting your child from coronavirus here.

 For more information and resources for schools and parents, please see: www.gov.ie/backtoschool

 For more information on protecting your child from COVID-19, please see: www.gov.ie/adviceforparents

 

Updated COVID-19 Advice Posters for Entering a Building, GP Surgery or Pharmacy
Updated posters have been created and can be used by GP surgeries, pharmacies and other buildings/places where visitors should be alerted not to enter if they have COVID-19 symptoms. The posters are available under the ‘Posters’ drop down menu available here.

 

Alternatively, you can access the posters directly from the following links:

COVID-19 Poster: Advice for entering GP surgery

COVID-19 Poster: Advice for entering pharmacy

COVID-19 Poster: Advice for entering building

 

COVID-19 Video for Members of the Roma Community

A new video has been made for members of the Roma Community explaining what to do if travelling into Ireland from another country.

 

Escape Your Chair Campaign

The Irish Heart Foundation’s Escape Your Chair Heart Month campaign supported by HSE Health & Wellbeing is calling on the nation to Escape Your Chair by moving for a minute each hour during the day. A survey conducted by Ipsos MRBI in early August found that more than half of all Irish workers are now working from home, with 53% of them sitting down for longer than when they commuted to work. While one in four are remaining sedentary for at least three hours longer than when they commuted to work.  The evidence shows that being sedentary for long periods of time increases your risk of developing heart disease.

For more information about the campaign visit: www.EscapeYourChair.ie and for tips about maintaining a healthy heart while working from home go to: https://bit.ly/2EV70MW

 

Public Health Information:

As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

The advice from the HSE on wearing face covering is as follows:

 

A cloth face covering should cover the nose and go under the chin and:

 

• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include at least 2 layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction

 

Please see the Public Health advice on wearing face coverings which is available on the HSE Website (https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/face-masks-disposable-gloves.html#cloth-face-coverings).

 

gov.ie have provided a video explaining how to safely wear a face covering https://youtu.be/OBR0udoIaiY

New COVID-19 TV ad
We are launching a new TV ad on Friday 28^th August, reminding everyone of the steps we can all take to protect ourselves and the people around us from COVID-19. The ad is part of the new look and feel we launched at the beginning of the month, with animations by illustrator Fatti Burke. You can watch the TV ad on our YouTube channel. Everyone has been working hard to reduce the spread of the virus but it’s important we continue to follow the public health advice. Because COVID-19 is still a problem… and we’re all the answer.

 New Symptoms & Testing radio ad
Our new Symptoms and Testing radio ad went live yesterday. The ad is a reminder of the symptoms of COVID-19 and the importance of taking action if you have symptoms – to self-isolate and phone your GP. The coronavirus consultation with your GP is free, as is the COVID-19 test. Getting tested quickly for coronavirus and self-isolating when you have symptoms reduces the risk of spread in the community. Listen to our radio ad on our Soundcloud channel.

 

Public Health Information:
As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

Public Health Measures

As you know, we are seeing some increases in rate of COVID around the country, and as a result, some additional advice and restrictions have been recommended by NPHET and the Government. These measures aim to protect our priorities – caring for vulnerable people, keeping health services open, and getting children back to education.

 You can view the special advice for those living in Kildare here.

 You can view the national public health measures here.

 

COVID-19 Schools and Parenting Resources

The HSE has been supporting the Department of Education with back-to-school advice and guidance for families and schools. This includes a guide to how to approach any symptoms of cold, flu or COVID in children, and what to do next.  Parents can read this information on HSE.ie here.

 We have also developed a printed version of this advice which is being shared with schools this week and is on our website resources page. On this page, schools can also download and print posters to raise awareness about preventing the spread of coronavirus in schools and other settings.

 For more information and resources for schools and parents, please see: www.gov.ie/backtoschool

 For more information on protecting your child from COVID-19, please see: www.gov.ie/adviceforparents

 For multi-lingual resources and materials for parents/guardians and for students on returning to school, please see:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/0cf46-resources-and-materials-for-parentsguardians-and-for-students-on-returning-to-school-multi-lingual/

 

COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel: Final Report
The report contains a range of recommendations in line with lessons learned to date and international best practice, aimed to safeguard the residents in nursing homes over the next 12-18 months and into the longer term. The report can be downloaded here.

 

Bringing Back the Sleep Routine during COVID-19
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families have lost a sense of routine and parents have said that getting this routine right is the key to making a start on improving other unhealthy behaviours. Sleep is the cornerstone to health and wellbeing and its impact on a healthy lifestyle cannot be underestimated. The START campaign has radio and digital advertising live since 20/8/2020. You can find more information on www.makeastart.ie/ or on Twitter @safefood_net #makeastart and Facebook safefood.net

 

The START campaign is a public health awareness campaign from safefood, the HSE and Healthy Ireland. The campaign promotes these healthy behaviours: minimise intake of foods high in fat, salt and sugar, establish water and milk as routine drinks, give child-sized portions to children, include more fruit and vegetables in their diets, increase physical activity levels, limit screen time and establish good sleep routines.

 

HSE Approved Guidance for Disability Services

New guidance has been issued by the HSE Disability Services:

Interim Guidance on Conducting Assessments in Disability Services

 Guidance to Support the Resumption of Centre-Based Respite Services for people with disabilities

 A list of all COVID-19 guidance documents developed to date can be found here.

 

Public Health Information:
As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

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.

Over 500,000 people have already downloaded the app.

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.

You can find an information leaflet with more detail that you can share with your own networks here.

The COVID tracker app will help us to track and stop the spread of COVID-19 as we continue to re-open services and communities. It goes hand in hand with the other important steps we can all take.   Everyone should continue to wash hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, keep our 2m distance and use face coverings when we can’t.

Thanks in advance for your support – the more people who download and use the app, the more it will help to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The COVID Tracker app is available on www.covidtracker.ie, or in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now.

 

Public Health Information:

As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/.

The SEC programme is for communities/areas of all sizes eg homeowners, sports clubs, community centres, local businesses and churches who have an interest in energy efficiency, renewables etc.

ORS and SEAI are organising a free online (ZOOM) webinar regarding SEAI’s Sustainable Energy Communities (SEC) programme – to inform communities how they can benefit from creating an ‘SEC’, This is taking place on Thursday next 9th July at 6pm. For anyone interested they need to register for the webinar by filling out the form at this link: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScObKgEu8LBCmxWDR…/viewform

Stay Safe. Protect each other. Wear a face covering.
Everyone in Ireland has helped to reduce the spread of COVID-19. We have 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’s 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.

 

You can download the poster on how to use face coverings here with a high resolution version available here.

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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.

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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.

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Other Resources:

Wellbeing ‘In This Together’
The joint DOH, 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:

Positive Posture while working from home: Anna O’Brien, Senior Physiotherapist, HSE
Tips for quitting smoking: Miriam O’Shea, Smoking Cessation Officer, HSE

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:
As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please click here.  

Please also check here for the most up to date partner resources for COVID-19.