theirishtimes--2020-04-27--‘The rule in the hub was we could only cook once a day’

Almost 100 families in Dublin exited homelessness in March – a significant increase on the 84 families in March 2019 , according to Dublin City Council .
The rise in exits is being attributed to the collapse in the holiday rental market which , observers say , has seen these properties come available for long-term leases .
The biggest difference for Sheno Mouradi ( 32 ) of having a home after eight months homeless , is being able to cook for her children , she says .
While most families in homeless accommodation – particularly in hotels – experience difficulties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and her husband Reza it was becoming a matter of extreme concern .
Their sons Artin ( 8 ) and Aryan ( 4 ) struggled with the upheaval of losing their rented home of nine years in East Wall .
Neither ate well in their family hub , and Aryan lost 3kg in weight .
“ The children did not eat for us .
In a Kurdish house we like to cook two times , three times a day but the rule in the hub was we could only cook once a day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , they didn ’ t like it and they [ caterers ] kept repeating the same food .
“ It was very upsetting for the boys .
They were asking to go home , to leave .
My small child was very sick .
He was in Temple Street hospital for two nights and they transferred him to Tallaght hospital for one week .
I had a tough time.
” Following reports from the family GP and hospitals about Aryan ’ s dangerous weight loss , the family was prioritised by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Focus Ireland Homeless Action Team .
They moved into the two-bedroom house in Raheny on March 19th .
Focus Ireland , the lead charity working with homeless families in Dublin , has moved 80 families with 150 children out of emergency accommodation “ since the start of the Covid-19 public health emergency ” .
“ There has been more accommodation on the market due to the impact of the pandemic on areas such as Airbnb , ” said head of advocacy Roughan McNamara .
A report published over the weekend , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ newly available rental accommodation is to homeless households who are dependent on the Housing Assistance Payment ( HAP ) .
The Simon Communities ’ Locked Out report finds , while across nine regions the number of properties available to rent at any cost increased by 38 per cent ( 504 ) between March 2nd and April 15th ( from 1,330 to 1,834 ) , the number available within HAP limits had decreased .
A household qualifying for HAP may only rent a property within a prescribed rental limit , set depending on how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where in the country they live .
“ While on March 25th there were 510 rental properties available within a HAP rate category for one or more of the four demographic groups , this fell by 4 per cent to 491 on April 15th , ” says the report .
Brendan Kenny , assistant chief executive of Dublin City Council , said there had been an increase in long-term leases in March , compared with March 2019 , and numbers “ should increase significantly in the months ahead ” .
Figures for April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For Ms Mouradi , the new home is a fresh start , for a second time .
She came to Ireland in 2005 with her parents and two siblings , as programme refugees , under the auspices of the UN High Commission for Refugees .
They had spent three years on the Iraq-Jordan border , a no-man ’ s land , living in tents .
She and her husband still have worries .
He is a chef now out if work due to the pandemic .
The house is far away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall .
Despite the continuing stresses , she smiles broadly when asked how she likes Ireland , and whether she would like to ever go back to the Middle East .
“ Ireland is my country now .
My parents , my brother and sister , all my family , we are very happy .
”

Sheno Mouradi with her husband and children: they were among the families who exited homelessness in March. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Almost 100 families in Dublin exited homelessness in March – a significant increase on the 84 families in March 2019, according to Dublin City Council.
The rise in exits is being attributed to the collapse in the holiday rental market which, observers say, has seen these properties come available for long-term leases.
The biggest difference for Sheno Mouradi (32) of having a home after eight months homeless, is being able to cook for her children, she says.
While most families in homeless accommodation – particularly in hotels – experience difficulties accessing nutritious food, for Ms Mouradi and her husband Reza it was becoming a matter of extreme concern.
READ MORE
Their sons Artin (8) and Aryan (4) struggled with the upheaval of losing their rented home of nine years in East Wall. Neither ate well in their family hub, and Aryan lost 3kg in weight.
Upsetting
“The children did not eat for us. In a Kurdish house we like to cook two times, three times a day but the rule in the hub was we could only cook once a day. The hostel provided food but the children, they didn’t like it and they [caterers] kept repeating the same food.
“It was very upsetting for the boys. They were asking to go home, to leave. My small child was very sick. He was in Temple Street hospital for two nights and they transferred him to Tallaght hospital for one week. I had a tough time.”
Following reports from the family GP and hospitals about Aryan's dangerous weight loss, the family was prioritised by the council and housed with the support of the Focus Ireland Homeless Action Team.
They moved into the two-bedroom house in Raheny on March 19th. Focus Ireland, the lead charity working with homeless families in Dublin, has moved 80 families with 150 children out of emergency accommodation "since the start of the Covid-19 public health emergency".
“There has been more accommodation on the market due to the impact of the pandemic on areas such as Airbnb,” said head of advocacy Roughan McNamara.
A report published over the weekend, however, questions how accessible much of the newly available rental accommodation is to homeless households who are dependent on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
The Simon Communities’ Locked Out report finds, while across nine regions the number of properties available to rent at any cost increased by 38 per cent (504) between March 2nd and April 15th (from 1,330 to 1,834), the number available within HAP limits had decreased.
A household qualifying for HAP may only rent a property within a prescribed rental limit, set depending on how many people are in the household and where in the country they live.
“While on March 25th there were 510 rental properties available within a HAP rate category for one or more of the four demographic groups, this fell by 4 per cent to 491 on April 15th,” says the report.
No-man’s land
Brendan Kenny, assistant chief executive of Dublin City Council, said there had been an increase in long-term leases in March, compared with March 2019, and numbers "should increase significantly in the months ahead". Figures for April would, he expected, be higher.
For Ms Mouradi, the new home is a fresh start, for a second time. She came to Ireland in 2005 with her parents and two siblings, as programme refugees, under the auspices of the UN High Commission for Refugees. They had spent three years on the Iraq-Jordan border, a no-man’s land, living in tents.
She and her husband still have worries. He is a chef now out if work due to the pandemic. The house is far away from the children’s schools in East Wall.
Despite the continuing stresses, she smiles broadly when asked how she likes Ireland, and whether she would like to ever go back to the Middle East.
“Ireland is my country now. My parents, my brother and sister, all my family, we are very happy.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Drug used to manage hospital Covid-19 withheld from nursing homes

A drug being used to successfully manage Covid-19 patients in hospitals is being withheld from patients in the community , including in nursing homes .
A HSE circular to pharmacists , dated April 17th , seen by The Irish Times , refers to the “ appropriate prescribing of azithromycin in the community ” , and notes : “ Letters have issued to GPs requesting that prescriptions for azithromycin should not be offered in the community for the management of Covid-19 in the home.Your co-operation and ongoing support is appreciated.
” There is a global shortage of the antibiotic azithromycin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexually transmitted diseases , according to the Irish Pharmacy Union .
The circular refers to a memo from Prof Michael Barry , HSE national clinical lead of the medicines management programme , dated April 10th .
He says “ prescribing of anti-virals for the management of patients with confirmed Covid-19 disease should be restricted to hospitals only ” .
He adds that “ careful ” consideration of whether to prescribe azithromycin in the community “ will support the safe use of this agent , and ensure continuity of supply ” .
One nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the east and west with over 200 beds told The Irish Times that the fatality rate from Covid-19 had “ declined dramatically ” when the homes ’ GP started prescribing azithromycin to coronavirus patients .
He would not provide his name for fear of being ordered to stop using the drug .
He has raised his concerns with Hiqa , who told The Irish Times : “ We have referred these issues to the clinical lead in the HSE.
” The home operator said : “ If it works in hospitals why can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
This is lunacy.
” Tadhg Daly , chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland , said he was “ absolutely very concerned ” .
“ We are being told there is no discrimination between hospital patients and nursing home residents in their treatment , but this looks discriminatory.
” Azithromycin has produced positive outcomes in some cases of Covid-19 , particularly where there has been pneumonia and respiratory failure .
In other cases results have been inconclusive , according to a HSE bulletin on its use , dated April 2nd .
Prepared by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bulletin reports on two studies on the use of azithromycin with hydrochloraquin .
It states : “ There are inconsistencies in the study findings , with one study in 80 patients reporting broadly positive outcomes from the combination therapy , including negative viral load in 83 per cent of the cohort on day seven , while another study in 11 patients concluded there is no evidence of rapid anti-viral clearance or clinical benefit.
” The Irish College of General Practitioners was not concerned at the ban on azithromycin for Covid-19 patients outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence to support using any antibiotic to treat viral Covid-19 in patients in the community who are otherwise healthy ... We do not need access to azithromycin for treatment of viral Covid-19 in the community.
” A HSE spokeswoman said guidelines on the use of several drugs , including azithromycin , in treating Covid-19 had been published .
“ Pharmacies are working centrally to maintain stocks for clinically indicated patients as per the national guidance .
”

Azithromycin has produced positive outcomes in some cases of Covid-19, particularly where there has been pneumonia and respiratory failure. In other cases results have been inconclusive. Photograph: Getty Images
A drug being used to successfully manage Covid-19 patients in hospitals is being withheld from patients in the community, including in nursing homes.
A HSE circular to pharmacists, dated April 17th, seen by The Irish Times, refers to the “appropriate prescribing of azithromycin in the community”, and notes: “Letters have issued to GPs requesting that prescriptions for azithromycin should not be offered in the community for the management of Covid-19 in the home.Your co-operation and ongoing support is appreciated.”
There is a global shortage of the antibiotic azithromycin, which is also used to treat some sexually transmitted diseases, according to the Irish Pharmacy Union.
The circular refers to a memo from Prof Michael Barry, HSE national clinical lead of the medicines management programme, dated April 10th. He says "prescribing of anti-virals for the management of patients with confirmed Covid-19 disease should be restricted to hospitals only".
READ MORE
He adds that “careful” consideration of whether to prescribe azithromycin in the community “will support the safe use of this agent, and ensure continuity of supply”.
One nursing home operator who runs three facilities in the east and west with over 200 beds told The Irish Times that the fatality rate from Covid-19 had “declined dramatically” when the homes’ GP started prescribing azithromycin to coronavirus patients.
He would not provide his name for fear of being ordered to stop using the drug. He has raised his concerns with Hiqa, who told The Irish Times: “We have referred these issues to the clinical lead in the HSE.”
The home operator said: “If it works in hospitals why can it not be allowed in care homes? This is lunacy.”
Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland, said he was "absolutely very concerned".
“We are being told there is no discrimination between hospital patients and nursing home residents in their treatment, but this looks discriminatory.”
Respiratory failure
Azithromycin has produced positive outcomes in some cases of Covid-19, particularly where there has been pneumonia and respiratory failure. In other cases results have been inconclusive, according to a HSE bulletin on its use, dated April 2nd.
Prepared by the Covid-19 rapid evidence review group, the bulletin reports on two studies on the use of azithromycin with hydrochloraquin.
It states: “There are inconsistencies in the study findings, with one study in 80 patients reporting broadly positive outcomes from the combination therapy, including negative viral load in 83 per cent of the cohort on day seven, while another study in 11 patients concluded there is no evidence of rapid anti-viral clearance or clinical benefit.”
The Irish College of General Practitioners was not concerned at the ban on azithromycin for Covid-19 patients outside hospital.
“There is currently no evidence to support using any antibiotic to treat viral Covid-19 in patients in the community who are otherwise healthy...We do not need access to azithromycin for treatment of viral Covid-19 in the community.”
A HSE spokeswoman said guidelines on the use of several drugs, including azithromycin, in treating Covid-19 had been published. “Pharmacies are working centrally to maintain stocks for clinically indicated patients as per the national guidance.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Lack of transparency will ‘damage uptake’ of contact tracing app

Concerns are mounting that a lack of transparency over the State ’ s proposed contact tracing app will “ damage the uptake of the app and undermine its effectiveness ” .
The HSE said on Sunday that it hopes to launch a “ pilot ” version of the app next month , but TJ McIntyre , chair of privacy advocate Digital Rights Ireland ( DRI ) , said the HSE has “ not provided any detailed information about what the app is supposed to do or how it is supposed to do it ” .
In addition to using smartphones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the app will reportedly gather the phone number , age , gender and symptoms of people who believe they have the virus , and some location data .
There are concerns that people ’ s data may be stored centrally on servers , rather than remaining on people ’ s phones .
DRI has asked that the source code and a Data Protection Impact Assessment be shared before the app goes live , but the HSE has said it only intends to do so after launch .
James Lawless , Fianna Fáil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source code should be shared before launch “ as a matter of course ” so it can be reviewed for faults .
“ It ’ s too late if we find out there is a vulnerability afterwards and everyone has had it on their phones for a few weeks , ” he said .
He said the lack of information being published was “ concerning ” and that there were “ no answers to basic questions ” .
“ It doesn ’ t inspire confidence , ” he said .
Mr Lawless said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its effectiveness .
“ That won ’ t happen without very strong reassurances.
” The HSE initially indicated the app would be launched early this month , but has not elaborated on the reasons for its delay .
Last week , the Netherlands was forced to shelve its contact tracing app , which shares some features with the Irish version , due to privacy concerns .
The Attorney General has reviewed the app , HSE chief executive Paul Reid confirmed on Sunday .
That is thought to have taken place earlier this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been requested afterwards .
The successful rollout of the app , which the HSE says is undergoing “ final security and product testing ” is a “ key element of the next phase of the Irish national public health response ” , a HSE spokesman said .
In correspondence with Digital Rights Ireland last week , the HSE ’ s interim chief information officer Fred Thompson said it had not published information on the project “ as we are still developing the application and associated documentation ” .
“ I can assure you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be going live with an app without meeting our legal obligations , ” Mr Thompson wrote .
The HSE spokesman said it is “ actively engaged with discussions at EU Commission level which are informing the development of the app ” .
“ The implementation timeline will be determined by the technical progress and the results from the security and product testing that is underway .
When it is ready the Department of Health and the HSE will formally launch the app with clear instructions on how to download and use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a joint contact tracing platform that would work on most smartphones , and could work in conjunction with apps developed by health authorities .
The HSE has said it has been in contact with both companies and is working with them .
The HSE is in informal communication with the Data Protection Commissioner , which may progress to a formal consultation depending on the final design of the app .

A Swiss app developed for proximity tracing: In Ireland a contract-tracing app will reportedly gather the phone number, age, gender and symptoms of people who believe they have the virus, and some location data. Photograph: EPA/Laurent Gillieron
Concerns are mounting that a lack of transparency over the State’s proposed contact tracing app will “damage the uptake of the app and undermine its effectiveness”.
The HSE said on Sunday that it hopes to launch a "pilot" version of the app next month, but TJ McIntyre, chair of privacy advocate Digital Rights Ireland (DRI), said the HSE has "not provided any detailed information about what the app is supposed to do or how it is supposed to do it".
In addition to using smartphones to speed up the contact tracing process, the app will reportedly gather the phone number, age, gender and symptoms of people who believe they have the virus, and some location data. There are concerns that people’s data may be stored centrally on servers, rather than remaining on people’s phones.
DRI has asked that the source code and a Data Protection Impact Assessment be shared before the app goes live, but the HSE has said it only intends to do so after launch. James Lawless, Fianna Fáil spokesman on science and technology, said source code should be shared before launch “as a matter of course” so it can be reviewed for faults.
READ MORE
“It’s too late if we find out there is a vulnerability afterwards and everyone has had it on their phones for a few weeks,” he said. He said the lack of information being published was “concerning” and that there were “no answers to basic questions”.
Reassurances
“It doesn’t inspire confidence,” he said. Mr Lawless said widespread adoption of the app was key to its effectiveness. “That won’t happen without very strong reassurances.”
The HSE initially indicated the app would be launched early this month, but has not elaborated on the reasons for its delay. Last week, the Netherlands was forced to shelve its contact tracing app, which shares some features with the Irish version, due to privacy concerns. The Attorney General has reviewed the app, HSE chief executive Paul Reid confirmed on Sunday. That is thought to have taken place earlier this month. Sources said some changes had been requested afterwards.
The successful rollout of the app, which the HSE says is undergoing “final security and product testing” is a “key element of the next phase of the Irish national public health response”, a HSE spokesman said.
In correspondence with Digital Rights Ireland last week, the HSE's interim chief information officer Fred Thompson said it had not published information on the project "as we are still developing the application and associated documentation".
“I can assure you that we take our obligations seriously and will not be going live with an app without meeting our legal obligations,” Mr Thompson wrote.
‘Clear instructions’
The HSE spokesman said it is “actively engaged with discussions at EU Commission level which are informing the development of the app”.
"The implementation timeline will be determined by the technical progress and the results from the security and product testing that is underway. When it is ready the Department of Health and the HSE will formally launch the app with clear instructions on how to download and use it."
Apple and Google are working on a joint contact tracing platform that would work on most smartphones, and could work in conjunction with apps developed by health authorities. The HSE has said it has been in contact with both companies and is working with them.
The HSE is in informal communication with the Data Protection Commissioner, which may progress to a formal consultation depending on the final design of the app.


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--How to screen for Covid-19 is still far from clear

One of the medical challenges in beginning to loosen social distancing is whether any symptoms of Covid-19 can be utilised in a way that would permit a population to be screened for suitability to live and work under relaxed conditions .
Because we have only known about the novel coronavirus for such a brief period , scientific knowledge and certainty is in short supply .
Witness the degree to which Covid-19 testing criteria have been altered as knowledge develops .
Take temperature screening of people returning to work as an example .
Measuring the temperature of travellers in airports , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , did not work .
According to the World Health Organisation , it is not an effective way to stop the international spread of the virus .
This is because infected individuals could be in the incubation period of the disease , or may be asymptomatic early in the illness , or indeed may have used medication to lower their temperature – all factors which render temperature measurement an ineffective screening tool for the viral infection .
It may be possible to include temperature as part of a future algorithm alongside other measurements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its utility is limited .
An emerging factor in attempting to define return to work criteria is the finding that presymptomatic people are infectious .
Recent reports suggest that patients with the coronavirus may be infectious one to three days before symptom onset and that up to 40-50 per cent of cases may be attributable to transmission from asymptomatic or presymptomatic people .
What about so-called immunity passports ?
These require an effective antibody test that reliably reveals who has had the virus .
But the presence of an antibody to the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that person is , or for how long any protection will last .
An antibody test confirms who has been exposed to the virus , but can not tell us the level of protection the antibodies confer .
Loss of smell and loss of taste are relatively unusual presenting symptoms .
Of particular interest is emerging evidence documenting a sudden loss of smell and/or taste as a primary symptom of Covid-19 .
It raises the possibility the twin symptoms could be included in a future screening system .
If these symptoms are present @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about them could be a way to identify people with the virus in the absence of other symptoms .
However , the WHO has yet to list loss of smell or taste as potential symptoms of Covid-19 , technically called SARS-CoV-2 .
Ear , nose and throat ( ENT ) specialists in Britain have advised doctors to have a high index of suspicion for the virus infection in patients with acute-onset loss of smell or taste .
Of note , they say , the loss of taste and smell , in contrast to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person having nasal congestion .
This and other features suggest the loss of senses in Covid-19 may be due to a different mechanism of action .
Author of a recently published study , Dr Carol H Yan , a head and neck surgeon at the University of California San Diego , says “ if you have smell and taste loss , you are more than 10 times more likely to have Covid-19 infection than other causes of infection .
The most common first sign of a Covid-19 infection remains fever , but fatigue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as other very common initial symptoms ” .
Meanwhile , making medical decisions around novel coronavirus is most likely to continue on a trial and error basis using ongoing risk analysis .

Temperature measurement is an ineffective screening tool for the viral infection but it could be used as a future algorithm alongside other screening measurements. Photograph: Inti Ocon/ AFP
One of the medical challenges in beginning to loosen social distancing is whether any symptoms of Covid-19 can be utilised in a way that would permit a population to be screened for suitability to live and work under relaxed conditions.
Because we have only known about the novel coronavirus for such a brief period, scientific knowledge and certainty is in short supply. Witness the degree to which Covid-19 testing criteria have been altered as knowledge develops.
Take temperature screening of people returning to work as an example. Measuring the temperature of travellers in airports, as was mooted early in the pandemic, did not work. According to the World Health Organisation, it is not an effective way to stop the international spread of the virus. This is because infected individuals could be in the incubation period of the disease, or may be asymptomatic early in the illness, or indeed may have used medication to lower their temperature – all factors which render temperature measurement an ineffective screening tool for the viral infection. It may be possible to include temperature as part of a future algorithm alongside other measurements, but as a solo screening instrument its utility is limited.
An emerging factor in attempting to define return to work criteria is the finding that presymptomatic people are infectious. Recent reports suggest that patients with the coronavirus may be infectious one to three days before symptom onset and that up to 40-50 per cent of cases may be attributable to transmission from asymptomatic or presymptomatic people.
READ MORE
What about so-called immunity passports? These require an effective antibody test that reliably reveals who has had the virus. But the presence of an antibody to the virus does not tell us how well protected that person is, or for how long any protection will last. An antibody test confirms who has been exposed to the virus, but cannot tell us the level of protection the antibodies confer.
Loss of smell and loss of taste are relatively unusual presenting symptoms. Of particular interest is emerging evidence documenting a sudden loss of smell and/or taste as a primary symptom of Covid-19. It raises the possibility the twin symptoms could be included in a future screening system.
If these symptoms are present in many with asymptomatic Covid-19, asking about them could be a way to identify people with the virus in the absence of other symptoms. However, the WHO has yet to list loss of smell or taste as potential symptoms of Covid-19, technically called SARS-CoV-2.
Ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists in Britain have advised doctors to have a high index of suspicion for the virus infection in patients with acute-onset loss of smell or taste. Of note, they say, the loss of taste and smell, in contrast to other respiratory infections, occurs without the person having nasal congestion. This and other features suggest the loss of senses in Covid-19 may be due to a different mechanism of action.
Author of a recently published study, Dr Carol H Yan, a head and neck surgeon at the University of California San Diego, says “if you have smell and taste loss, you are more than 10 times more likely to have Covid-19 infection than other causes of infection. The most common first sign of a Covid-19 infection remains fever, but fatigue and loss of smell and taste follow as other very common initial symptoms”.
Meanwhile, making medical decisions around novel coronavirus is most likely to continue on a trial and error basis using ongoing risk analysis.


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Delays in testing raise doubts about timing of lifting Irish lockdown

Delays in reaching the weekly target of 100,000 coronavirus tests until the third week in May raise doubts about the State ’ s capacity to lift lockdown restriction when they expire next week .
Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid said the health service would not reach the weekly target until later in May – after the latest restrictions expire on May 5th – despite its concerns about the capacity to meet the target set by by the Department of Health ’ s health emergency team 10 days ago .
The 100,000 weekly tests is a critical step to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown measures are relaxed in order to assess whether they are leading to new Covid-19 cases .
The weeks-long delay in meeting the testing target emerged as the department reported that another 26 people died from coronavirus , bringing the death toll to 1,087 in the Republic .
There were a further 701 new confirmed cases , bringing the total number of known cases to 19,262 .
Mr Reid said the HSE had been operating on a “ war zone ” footing since the crisis began but a more sustainable model was needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , mostly likely into 2021 ” .
He acknowledged that there were “ constructive tensions ” between the HSE and the department after its emergency team announce plans to ramp up testing to 100,000 suspected cases a week .
The department said that “ intense effort ” was under way to set up a rapid testing system but it sidestepped a question about whether the delay in reaching target would lead to restrictions being extended beyond May 5th .
Last night , Dr Mary Favier , president of the Irish College of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing – without a ramping up of “ critical ” contact tracing to identify others infected by a new case , there would be “ a further inevitable surge in infection rates ” that would place “ significant additional pressures ” on GPs and the wider healthcare services .
New figures released on Sunday showed the already heavy strain being felt across the health system as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 205,000 people around the globe .
There are about 4,500 HSE staff out of work , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus or suspected symptoms or for other reasons such as difficulties in finding childcare .
The HSE ’ s chief operations officer Anne O ’ Connor said at its weekly press briefing on Sunday that the absentee rate was a “ challenge ” for the health service .
She highlighted the need for the State to support front-line healthcare workers with “ childcare solutions ” .
The Government first promised childcare solutions for these workers in mid-March .
It emerged at the briefing that only 150 private consultants have signed up to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the first Irish case on February 29th .
Efforts to help increase testing capacity are extending beyond the public sector .
One of the country ’ s largest universities , UCD , is asking the public to help the State ’ s main virus research lab ramp up testing capacity to be able to help efforts to lift lockdown measures .
The public is being asked to contribute to a €1 million fundraising campaign that would increase Covid-19 testing capacity at the State ’ s National Virus Reference Laboratory – a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day , from 7,000 to 10,000 .
UCD Foundation , the university ’ s charitable fundraising arm , said the crowdfunding campaign would fund the purchase of personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser to keep the lab running on constantly rotating work shift so as to create capacity to add a further 21,000 tests a week , a fifth of the HSE ’ s weekly target .
The campaign aims “ to save time and fill in the gaps ” to support increased testing during the relaxation of lockdown measures , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving Mark McDonnell .
“ As everyone ’ s attention turns to easing restrictions safely , we want to help in as far as possible with whatever steps we can to avoid overburdening our hospitals with new cases , ” he said .

A health worker holds test kits before taking a swab to collect samples for Covid-19 coronavirus from people in Gombak on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Photograph: Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images
Delays in reaching the weekly target of 100,000 coronavirus tests until the third week in May raise doubts about the State’s capacity to lift lockdown restriction when they expire next week.
Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid said the health service would not reach the weekly target until later in May – after the latest restrictions expire on May 5th – despite its concerns about the capacity to meet the target set by by the Department of Health's health emergency team 10 days ago.
The 100,000 weekly tests is a critical step to help public-health experts track infection rates as lockdown measures are relaxed in order to assess whether they are leading to new Covid-19 cases.
The weeks-long delay in meeting the testing target emerged as the department reported that another 26 people died from coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 1,087 in the Republic. There were a further 701 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of known cases to 19,262.
READ MORE
Mr Reid said the HSE had been operating on a “war zone” footing since the crisis began but a more sustainable model was needed to manage the virus “well into 2020, mostly likely into 2021”.
He acknowledged that there were “constructive tensions” between the HSE and the department after its emergency team announce plans to ramp up testing to 100,000 suspected cases a week.
‘Intense effort’
The department said that “intense effort” was under way to set up a rapid testing system but it sidestepped a question about whether the delay in reaching target would lead to restrictions being extended beyond May 5th.
Last night, Dr Mary Favier, president of the Irish College of General Practitioners, warned that – beyond testing – without a ramping up of "critical" contact tracing to identify others infected by a new case, there would be "a further inevitable surge in infection rates" that would place "significant additional pressures" on GPs and the wider healthcare services.
New figures released on Sunday showed the already heavy strain being felt across the health system as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 205,000 people around the globe.
There are about 4,500 HSE staff out of work, either on sick leave in self-insolation with the virus or suspected symptoms or for other reasons such as difficulties in finding childcare.
The HSE’s chief operations officer Anne O’Connor said at its weekly press briefing on Sunday that the absentee rate was a “challenge” for the health service.
She highlighted the need for the State to support front-line healthcare workers with “childcare solutions”. The Government first promised childcare solutions for these workers in mid-March.
It emerged at the briefing that only 150 private consultants have signed up to work as public-hospital consultants since the crisis began with the first Irish case on February 29th.
Testing capacity
Efforts to help increase testing capacity are extending beyond the public sector.
One of the country’s largest universities, UCD, is asking the public to help the State’s main virus research lab ramp up testing capacity to be able to help efforts to lift lockdown measures.
The public is being asked to contribute to a €1 million fundraising campaign that would increase Covid-19 testing capacity at the State’s National Virus Reference Laboratory – a key coronavirus testing hub – by 3,000 tests a day, from 7,000 to 10,000.
UCD Foundation, the university’s charitable fundraising arm, said the crowdfunding campaign would fund the purchase of personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser to keep the lab running on constantly rotating work shift so as to create capacity to add a further 21,000 tests a week, a fifth of the HSE’s weekly target.
The campaign aims “to save time and fill in the gaps” to support increased testing during the relaxation of lockdown measures, said UCD Foundation’s head of annual giving Mark McDonnell.
“As everyone’s attention turns to easing restrictions safely, we want to help in as far as possible with whatever steps we can to avoid overburdening our hospitals with new cases,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--How coronavirus is changing our relationship with food and cooking

“ We are in the middle of one of the biggest social experiments in our history and it will be fascinating to see how we change as a result of it , ” says Rory McDonnell , Bord Bia ’ s head of strategic planning , as he pores over mountains of real-time data looking at how consumers have responded to the coronavirus crisis .
He is not wrong .
As social experiments , they don ’ t get much bigger than this .
In a matter of weeks we have become a slowed-down and fearful nation of bakers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to share our personal data far and wide as long as it gives us an edge in an epic battle against an invisible enemy .
Rather than tracking consumer sentiment , which looks at how people think and how they think they might act in a given set of circumstances , McDonnell and his research team at Bord Bia have been looking at what consumers have been actually doing and what they have been buying .
The research is ongoing but they have already identified some key trends , the first of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In recent years health and wellness have been integral to modern life , but our health focus has intensified in recent weeks as we focused less on proactive health management , which has us eating and drinking foods we think might make us fitter and stronger , and focused more on protective health management , which sees us seeking foods to keep us well in the here and now .
The chocolate-soaked protein bars which might possibly have made us lean ahead of the summer are out and have been replaced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While the current crisis may abate , McDonnell points out that a cure for coronavirus will remain elusive , and there is no certainty as to how immunity might work .
There is no vaccine and a huge awareness that if this terrible thing can happen today , it can happen tomorrow too .
That bleak picture will “ create great desire for shielding and self-protection ” , he says , and foods which can protect our defence systems are growing in popularity .
The report says that as we move into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well pay more attention to the science of food functionality [ and ] may want nutrition that helps boost their immunity.
” Certainly if search engines are anything to go by , that is what we have been looking for over the past several weeks , with Google searches for “ food ” and “ immune system ” spiking since mid-March .
Immune-building vitamins and minerals including zinc , elderberry and vitamins C and D and are just some of the substances Irish people have researched to establish their immune-enhancing potential .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush out and starting making claims about their products ’ benefits for the immune system , they will need to “ be mindful ” that in a world of fake news , their “ message needs to be actually true ” .
Always good advice to be honest .
“ Consumers looking for ways to boost their immunity might explain why sales of orange juice went through the roof initially , although that has died down as people have come to accept that orange juice won ’ t protect them from Covid-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening was people were trying to give themselves an edge over the virus and while there has been a fall-off in juice and vitamin C sales , immunity and products which promise to boost it will be on people ’ s radars for a while yet.
” Another trend Bord Bia has spotted is comfort cooking .
As the lockdown was imposed , people moved away from fast foods and ready meals towards slower cooking and making childhood recipes and takeout-style dishes to bring familiarity to an unfamiliar world .
Sales of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noodles climbed significantly over recent weeks .
“ We have seen people go back to what they grew up on , things like roast dinners , and the number of searches on the Bord Bia site for comfort food recipes have more than doubled over the last month , ” McDonnell says .
His research , meanwhile , points out that “ time-poor consumers have almost overnight moved from the world of compromised convenience foods to a world of home cooking and even slow cooking ” , adding that “ being stuck at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focal point of our day ” .
Research agency Behaviour & Attitudes has also been monitoring consumer sentiment in recent days and has found that 46 per cent of Irish people have been cooking more meals , while a similar number are now eating main meals in the company of others .
“ As everyone has descended on the home and as we hunker down , pleasing people through food is a priority , ” the Bord Bia research says .
But whether we maintain our new cooking habits when the crisis lifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66 days to change a habit , and – hopefully – we won ’ t have to spend that long at home .
“ We may move on from comfort cooking [ but ] it ’ s likely some family favourites will remain so , ” the report says .
“ We are in the midst of a revolution in cooking upskilling , with consumers adding new dishes to their at-home repertoire on a daily basis.
” Another trend identified has been safety .
The desire to stay safe while confronting an invisible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of the crisis , but we are also seeing “ more subtle manifestations of this , with consumers seeking reassurances regarding food safety ” .
Sometimes that has led consumers to make sometimes irrational choices on the basis of what they think will keep the virus from their door .
For instance , Google Trends data shows that our interest in cuisines from China and Italy nosedived in February and March while in the US almost 40 per cent of beer drinkers say they will not drink Corona beer under any circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anecdotal evidence would suggest many Irish people have been buying it for the craic .
This new desire to stay safe has seen us asking questions that even six weeks ago would have been ludicrous .
Do we wash our fruit and vegetables in soap and water ?
Do we sanitise our beans ?
Do we need to leave our shopping in quarantine for days before decanting it ?
These questions “ only serve to highlight the sensitivity of consumers ” right now , McDonnell says .
At the outset of the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economic & Social Research Institute ( ESRI ) identified seven issues worth considering in “ fighting the coronavirus ” .
Number seven on that list was risk perceptions .
Overstating or understating a risk can see people making choices that have a negative outcome .
That ’ s because perceptions of risk drives behaviour , and people judge the likelihood of an outcome partly by how easily it springs to mind .
Today , in the midst of the pandemic , shoppers ’ “ risk assessments ” are heightened , but is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a baguette or loaf of bread on display in a store ?
Probably not , but the “ closest available evidence would suggest it ’ s better to be safe than sorry .
Shoppers have been told to mitigate risk by washing their hands .
They ’ ve been told not to wear face masks , then possibly that they should wear face masks .
Food , on display out in the open , always something that needed careful handling , now needs even more careful handling.
” Another trend noted by Bord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , creating an explosion of data which will lead to the refinement of AI online shopping assistants and auto-complete shopping lists , McDonnell says .
“ Current observations would suggest that online grocery – even for global specialists such as Amazon and Ocado – is already very congested , ” the report notes .
“ Many consumers are experiencing long lead times for home delivery .
Equally , however , it would appear that many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time .
As retailers scale up capability online , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ordering groceries kicks in as a behavioural norm.
” And what does that mean ?
“ We know the grocery shoppers of the future will be ‘ digital natives ’ , those who have always had access to computers and the internet , and therefore rapid change is the norm for them , ” the report says .
Smart consumers will use AI to optimise everything including what they eat .
“ These consumers are likely to allow AI bots and smart home services to perform consistent purchases , and people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Running low on milk ?
Your smart fridge will order it for you .
Eating too much saturated fat ?
Your health app on your phone will block you from over-ordering on your Amazon or Tesco app.
” The big trend noted by Bord Bia has been the stocking up .
Its research suggests we are not doing this in the simplistic “ panic-buying ” sense – there is more nuance to the picture .
For example , at the beginning of the crisis consumers initially bought “ shelf-stable ” long-life foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they then quickly moved to the purchasing of frozen foods .
“ One could be forgiven for assuming shopping has moved into panic-buying with shopper missions driven by a need to stay ‘ stocked up ’ at home .
But the truth behind changing consumer behaviour is a little more complex – moving from panic to preparedness .
We call this evolved grocery shopper behaviour stocking-in , ” the report says .
Far from becoming a burden or compromise for consumers , there is some evidence that people are looking on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brooklyn chef Chitra Agrawal has talked about always having a pantry that ’ s filled with dried beans and lentils for making dal .
In Australia the chef Jane de Graaff was set the challenge of cooking four meals with no fresh ingredients on Australia ’ s Today Show .
And in the UK , Jamie Oliver has launched a new show , Keep Cooking and Carry On .
The idea behind this show is to encourage us to embrace a new world of cooking where cupboard staples can be turned into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal of these initiatives could be explained by “ decision fatigue ” .
Pre-pandemic shoppers enjoyed a world of “ over-choice ” and there is a significant body of evidence to suggest that over-choice is associated with unhappiness .
Today we are seeing shoppers actually enjoy cooking with scare resources , McDonnell suggests .
“ The reality is stockpiling behaviour is a complex phenomenon based around shopper reactions to scarcity , choice , control deprivation and decision fatigue .
These behaviours could unlock ‘ nudges ’ around changing shopper missions that retailers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be watching how shopper behaviour evolves in the coming months to truly understand if some of these stocking-in behaviours actually are here for good .
”

“We are in the middle of one of the biggest social experiments in our history and it will be fascinating to see how we change as a result of it,” says Rory McDonnell, Bord Bia’s head of strategic planning, as he pores over mountains of real-time data looking at how consumers have responded to the coronavirus crisis.
He is not wrong. As social experiments, they don’t get much bigger than this. In a matter of weeks we have become a slowed-down and fearful nation of bakers and epidemiologists, stuck in our homes and willing to share our personal data far and wide as long as it gives us an edge in an epic battle against an invisible enemy.
Rather than tracking consumer sentiment, which looks at how people think and how they think they might act in a given set of circumstances, McDonnell and his research team at Bord Bia have been looking at what consumers have been actually doing and what they have been buying.
The research is ongoing but they have already identified some key trends, the first of which they have labelled “shielding”.
READ MORE
In recent years health and wellness have been integral to modern life, but our health focus has intensified in recent weeks as we focused less on proactive health management, which has us eating and drinking foods we think might make us fitter and stronger, and focused more on protective health management, which sees us seeking foods to keep us well in the here and now.
Immune-building vitamins and minerals including zinc, elderberry and vitamins C and D and are just some of the substances Irish people have researched. Photograph: iStock
Google searches for 'food' and 'immune system' have spiked since mid-March
The chocolate-soaked protein bars which might possibly have made us lean ahead of the summer are out and have been replaced by immunity-boosting shots of green vegetables and fruit.
While the current crisis may abate, McDonnell points out that a cure for coronavirus will remain elusive, and there is no certainty as to how immunity might work. There is no vaccine and a huge awareness that if this terrible thing can happen today, it can happen tomorrow too. That bleak picture will “create great desire for shielding and self-protection”, he says, and foods which can protect our defence systems are growing in popularity.
The report says that as we move into the post-Covid world, “consumers may well pay more attention to the science of food functionality [and] may want nutrition that helps boost their immunity.”
Certainly if search engines are anything to go by, that is what we have been looking for over the past several weeks, with Google searches for “food” and “immune system” spiking since mid-March.
Immune-enhancing
Immune-building vitamins and minerals including zinc, elderberry and vitamins C and D and are just some of the substances Irish people have researched to establish their immune-enhancing potential.
But, the research warns, before brands rush out and starting making claims about their products’ benefits for the immune system, they will need to “be mindful” that in a world of fake news, their “message needs to be actually true”.
Always good advice to be honest.
“Consumers looking for ways to boost their immunity might explain why sales of orange juice went through the roof initially, although that has died down as people have come to accept that orange juice won’t protect them from Covid-19,” McDonnell says.
“What was happening was people were trying to give themselves an edge over the virus and while there has been a fall-off in juice and vitamin C sales, immunity and products which promise to boost it will be on people’s radars for a while yet.”
Another trend Bord Bia has spotted is comfort cooking. As the lockdown was imposed, people moved away from fast foods and ready meals towards slower cooking and making childhood recipes and takeout-style dishes to bring familiarity to an unfamiliar world. Sales of “comfort carbs” such as pasta and noodles climbed significantly over recent weeks.
“We have seen people go back to what they grew up on, things like roast dinners, and the number of searches on the Bord Bia site for comfort food recipes have more than doubled over the last month,” McDonnell says.
His research, meanwhile, points out that “time-poor consumers have almost overnight moved from the world of compromised convenience foods to a world of home cooking and even slow cooking”, adding that “being stuck at home means the kitchen is becoming a focal point of our day”.
Research agency Behaviour & Attitudes has also been monitoring consumer sentiment in recent days and has found that 46 per cent of Irish people have been cooking more meals, while a similar number are now eating main meals in the company of others.
Sales of ‘comfort carbs’ such as pasta and noodles have climbed significantly over recent weeks. Photograph: Getty Images
We are in the midst of a revolution in cooking upskilling
“As everyone has descended on the home and as we hunker down, pleasing people through food is a priority,” the Bord Bia research says.
But whether we maintain our new cooking habits when the crisis lifts is another question. It takes roughly 66 days to change a habit, and – hopefully – we won’t have to spend that long at home.
“We may move on from comfort cooking [but] it’s likely some family favourites will remain so,” the report says. “We are in the midst of a revolution in cooking upskilling, with consumers adding new dishes to their at-home repertoire on a daily basis.”
Stockpiling
Another trend identified has been safety. The desire to stay safe while confronting an invisible enemy saw grocery stockpiling in the early days of the crisis, but we are also seeing “more subtle manifestations of this, with consumers seeking reassurances regarding food safety”.
Sometimes that has led consumers to make sometimes irrational choices on the basis of what they think will keep the virus from their door. For instance, Google Trends data shows that our interest in cuisines from China and Italy nosedived in February and March while in the US almost 40 per cent of beer drinkers say they will not drink Corona beer under any circumstances at the moment.
By contrast, anecdotal evidence would suggest many Irish people have been buying it for the craic.
This new desire to stay safe has seen us asking questions that even six weeks ago would have been ludicrous. Do we wash our fruit and vegetables in soap and water? Do we sanitise our beans? Do we need to leave our shopping in quarantine for days before decanting it? These questions “only serve to highlight the sensitivity of consumers” right now, McDonnell says.
At the outset of the crisis, the Behavioural Research Unit at the Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) identified seven issues worth considering in “fighting the coronavirus”. Number seven on that list was risk perceptions.
Overstating or understating a risk can see people making choices that have a negative outcome. That’s because perceptions of risk drives behaviour, and people judge the likelihood of an outcome partly by how easily it springs to mind.
Today, in the midst of the pandemic, shoppers’ “risk assessments” are heightened, but is there actual evidence that Covid-19 will survive on a baguette or loaf of bread on display in a store? Probably not, but the “closest available evidence would suggest it’s better to be safe than sorry. Shoppers have been told to mitigate risk by washing their hands. They’ve been told not to wear face masks, then possibly that they should wear face masks. Food, on display out in the open, always something that needed careful handling, now needs even more careful handling.”
Another trend noted by Bord Bia has seen food shoppers moving online, creating an explosion of data which will lead to the refinement of AI online shopping assistants and auto-complete shopping lists, McDonnell says.
A trend noted by Bord Bia has seen food shoppers moving online, creating an explosion of data which will lead to the refinement of AI online shopping assistants. Photograph: iStock
It would appear that many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time
“Current observations would suggest that online grocery – even for global specialists such as Amazon and Ocado – is already very congested,” the report notes. “Many consumers are experiencing long lead times for home delivery. Equally, however, it would appear that many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time. As retailers scale up capability online, we may well find the ‘automation’ of ordering groceries kicks in as a behavioural norm.”
And what does that mean?
Digital natives
“We know the grocery shoppers of the future will be ‘digital natives’, those who have always had access to computers and the internet, and therefore rapid change is the norm for them,” the report says.
Smart consumers will use AI to optimise everything including what they eat. “These consumers are likely to allow AI bots and smart home services to perform consistent purchases, and people will trust them to make the right decisions. Running low on milk? Your smart fridge will order it for you. Eating too much saturated fat? Your health app on your phone will block you from over-ordering on your Amazon or Tesco app.”
Oh joy.
The big trend noted by Bord Bia has been the stocking up. Its research suggests we are not doing this in the simplistic “panic-buying” sense – there is more nuance to the picture. For example, at the beginning of the crisis consumers initially bought “shelf-stable” long-life foods to create “pandemic pantries”, but they then quickly moved to the purchasing of frozen foods.
“One could be forgiven for assuming shopping has moved into panic-buying with shopper missions driven by a need to stay ‘stocked up’ at home. But the truth behind changing consumer behaviour is a little more complex – moving from panic to preparedness. We call this evolved grocery shopper behaviour stocking-in,” the report says.
Far from becoming a burden or compromise for consumers, there is some evidence that people are looking on the positives of living from the pandemic pantry.
Brooklyn chef Chitra Agrawal has talked about always having a pantry that’s filled with dried beans and lentils for making dal. In Australia the chef Jane de Graaff was set the challenge of cooking four meals with no fresh ingredients on Australia’s Today Show. And in the UK, Jamie Oliver has launched a new show, Keep Cooking and Carry On. The idea behind this show is to encourage us to embrace a new world of cooking where cupboard staples can be turned into interesting and exciting new recipes.
The appeal of these initiatives could be explained by “decision fatigue”. Pre-pandemic shoppers enjoyed a world of “over-choice” and there is a significant body of evidence to suggest that over-choice is associated with unhappiness. Today we are seeing shoppers actually enjoy cooking with scare resources, McDonnell suggests.
“The reality is stockpiling behaviour is a complex phenomenon based around shopper reactions to scarcity, choice, control deprivation and decision fatigue. These behaviours could unlock ‘nudges’ around changing shopper missions that retailers and producers can tap into. We will be watching how shopper behaviour evolves in the coming months to truly understand if some of these stocking-in behaviours actually are here for good.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-28--Gardaí deal with big increase in house parties amid coronavirus

Gardaí dealt with a large increase in house parties and social gatherings over the weekend as concern grows over public complacency regarding the movement restrictions due to Covid-19 .
Official figures are not yet available but anecdotal evidence from gardaí across the country suggests a significant increase in people gathering together in homes , back gardens and on the streets of residential areas .
Gardaí in the capital received dozens of reports of parties .
In Dublin Metropolitan Region ( DMR ) North , members received reports of about 15 gatherings between Friday and Sunday , most of which dispersed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is also increasing anger in Donegal and other Border counties that Northern Ireland residents travelling in the Republic are not subject to the movement restrictions .
However , a garda based in Donegal said the problem is being overstated .
“ There are problems over the Border from major urban centres like Derry but elsewhere in the west of the county we ’ re not seeing much .
I ’ d say about 5 per cent of the holiday homes are occupied .
And those that are occupied are occupied by older people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of time here .
The reports come as senior gardaí become increasingly concerned about the growing public complacency surrounding Covid-19 .
Last week officials reported increased traffic and pedestrians on roads and footpaths .
A second stage of Operation Fanacht , the high-visibility Garda operation to police the movement restrictions , is to begin on Tuesday and will run over the May bank holiday weekend until next Monday .
It will see 2,500 gardaí deployed at any one time to ensure people are only engaging in necessary travel .
“ When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a high level of compliance from the public .
It is vital that we see that again , ” Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey said .
“ This is a critical week for the country .
If we all work together , we can help save the lives of our family , friends , neighbours and colleagues.
” Later on Tuesday the Garda will also release figures for the number of arrests made under the Covid-19 legislation .
It is expected the figures will show a large increase on the 34 people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Garda sources said , in contrast to the first few weeks of restrictions , most arrests are now not being made at checkpoints .
“ People at checkpoints have their excuses ready now .
They know to say ‘ I ’ m going to see granny ’ or ‘ I ’ m going to the shops ’ .
And we have very little way of checking , ” said a garda in the northwest .
More arrests are now occurring at parties and at social gatherings , many of which took place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weekend and involved large amounts of alcohol .
Recent figures show a massive increase in off-licence sales since the lockdown began .
Dublin Lord Mayor Tom Brabazon said there was a “ party fever ” in Dublin on Saturday night and that revellers were taking the lives of their elderly neighbours “ with a pinch of salt ” .
The trend is not just confined to Dublin .
Gardaí in areas such as Sligo town , Limerick and Letterkenny also reported increased numbers of public order arrests over the weekend of people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A Sligo garda said most people are “ very compliant ” but that there is growing frustrating that some sectors of society are perceived as being “ allowed to ignore the guidelines ” .
Meanwhile , there has been a large reduction in visits to isolated beauty spots in the face of increased Garda monitoring of such locations .
But there has been a visible increase of visitors to many parks and beaches , particularly by families .
A Garda helicopter spent much of the weekend over central Dublin watching hundreds of walkers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sources said the vast majority were social distancing .

Senior gardaí are increasingly concerned about the growing public complacency surrounding Covid-19. Last week officials reported increased traffic and pedestrians on roads and footpaths. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Gardaí dealt with a large increase in house parties and social gatherings over the weekend as concern grows over public complacency regarding the movement restrictions due to Covid-19.
Official figures are not yet available but anecdotal evidence from gardaí across the country suggests a significant increase in people gathering together in homes, back gardens and on the streets of residential areas.
Gardaí in the capital received dozens of reports of parties. In Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North, members received reports of about 15 gatherings between Friday and Sunday, most of which dispersed without incident, sources say.
There is also increasing anger in Donegal and other Border counties that Northern Ireland residents travelling in the Republic are not subject to the movement restrictions.
READ MORE
However, a garda based in Donegal said the problem is being overstated. “There are problems over the Border from major urban centres like Derry but elsewhere in the west of the county we’re not seeing much. I’d say about 5 per cent of the holiday homes are occupied. And those that are occupied are occupied by older people who, in fairness, do spend a lot of time here.
The reports come as senior gardaí become increasingly concerned about the growing public complacency surrounding Covid-19. Last week officials reported increased traffic and pedestrians on roads and footpaths.
A second stage of Operation Fanacht, the high-visibility Garda operation to police the movement restrictions, is to begin on Tuesday and will run over the May bank holiday weekend until next Monday. It will see 2,500 gardaí deployed at any one time to ensure people are only engaging in necessary travel.
"When we last ran Operation Fanacht there was a high level of compliance from the public. It is vital that we see that again," Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey said.
“This is a critical week for the country. If we all work together, we can help save the lives of our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.”
Later on Tuesday the Garda will also release figures for the number of arrests made under the Covid-19 legislation. It is expected the figures will show a large increase on the 34 people who had been arrested as of last Tuesday.
Off-licence sales
Garda sources said, in contrast to the first few weeks of restrictions, most arrests are now not being made at checkpoints.
“People at checkpoints have their excuses ready now. They know to say ‘I’m going to see granny’ or ‘I’m going to the shops’. And we have very little way of checking,” said a garda in the northwest.
More arrests are now occurring at parties and at social gatherings, many of which took place on residential streets in Dublin over the weekend and involved large amounts of alcohol. Recent figures show a massive increase in off-licence sales since the lockdown began.
Dublin Lord Mayor Tom Brabazon said there was a "party fever" in Dublin on Saturday night and that revellers were taking the lives of their elderly neighbours "with a pinch of salt".
The trend is not just confined to Dublin. Gardaí in areas such as Sligo town, Limerick and Letterkenny also reported increased numbers of public order arrests over the weekend of people who refused to comply with Garda orders.
A Sligo garda said most people are “very compliant” but that there is growing frustrating that some sectors of society are perceived as being “allowed to ignore the guidelines”.
Meanwhile, there has been a large reduction in visits to isolated beauty spots in the face of increased Garda monitoring of such locations. But there has been a visible increase of visitors to many parks and beaches, particularly by families.
A Garda helicopter spent much of the weekend over central Dublin watching hundreds of walkers in the Phoenix Park and surrounding areas. Sources said the vast majority were social distancing.


theirishtimes--2020-04-28--Man in 80s gets protection orders against three sons living with him

A woman got a protection order against her adult grandson , and a man in his 80s got protection orders against his three adults sons during a busy session at the Dublin District Family Court on Monday , during which the Covid-19 lockdown was mentioned on a number of occasions .
The man who got protection orders against his three sons , who live with him , said he had a verbal row with a son who is aged in his early 50s on Thursday during which , he said , “ I thought I was going to get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been able to manage the son , but now “ he wants to take over .
He wants to be number one , ” the man told Judge John Campbell .
He said another son , who is also in his 50s , was drinking a lot .
“ All he wants to do is drink , drink , drink .
Cans .
Any few bob he gets from the Post Office , he drinks it.
” When he ’ s drunk , he said , “ he ’ s like a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is in his mid-40s , takes drugs , “ anything he can get his hands on ” , and recently caused a fire in the house .
Judge Campbell granted interim protection orders against the three men , meaning they can be found guilty of a criminal offence if they put their father in fear or threaten violence against him .
A hearing in July will consider whether a longer-term order should be made , after the men have been granted the opportunity to give their side of the story .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to leave their home .
A woman who asked the court for a protection order against her adult grandson said that since her husband had died two years ago , her grandson thinks “ I ’ m the man of the house.
” When he doesn ’ t get his way , she said , he throws furniture and bangs doors .
The woman and the young man share the house with one of her sons , who is not the younger man ’ s father .
The grandson has been living @ @ @ @ @ @ @ child .
Since the Covid-19 lockdown , he had not been able to visit his baby , the grandmother said .
“ This annoys him.
” The woman ’ s son gave evidence that he had been recently threatened by his nephew .
The judge granted interim temporary protection orders to both the grandmother and her son .
A woman who was granted a temporary protection order against her husband said they had been having difficulties for some time but the lockdown had “ highlighted the problem ” .
They were both working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from being verbally abusive to being violent , and was also now making their daughter frightened .
Another woman who is working from home said her husband , who is also working from home , had a prolonged outburst on Saturday that traumatised not just her and her family but also the neighbours .
She has children trying to study at home , including one who is doing exams at Trinity College Dublin .
“ I never thought I would be in this situation , never in my life , ” she said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She had called gardaí before about her husband , she told Judge Campbell , who granted an interim protection order .
A woman who had secured an interim barring order against her adult son earlier this month was asked by the judge what the atmosphere in her house had been like since then .
“ Do you know what ?
” she said .
“ For the first time in years I feel a sense of peace in my own home .
But I also feel that I have a lost a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She said she would like the order to be made for the maximum period , which is three years .
She was concerned for her other child , and she did not want her son ’ s hatred for her to get to the point where he would hit her .
“ It ’ s like he blacks out .
He goes mad .
I don ’ t want him to have to carry that knowledge.
” Asked whether her son drank alcohol , the woman said he “ smokes weed ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her former boyfriend used to work in construction but was now unemployed because of the lockdown .
“ He is drinking every single night , ” she told Judge Campbell .
They got in a fight on Saturday and he pushed her when he came into the kitchen and found her pouring two bottles of Jameson down the sink .
She was concerned for her own welfare and that of her children .
The judge granted an interim barring order against the man .

A woman who was granted a temporary protection order against her husband said they had been having difficulties for some time but the coronavirus lockdown had “highlighted the problem”. File photograph: Getty
A woman got a protection order against her adult grandson, and a man in his 80s got protection orders against his three adults sons during a busy session at the Dublin District Family Court on Monday, during which the Covid-19 lockdown was mentioned on a number of occasions.
The man who got protection orders against his three sons, who live with him, said he had a verbal row with a son who is aged in his early 50s on Thursday during which, he said, “I thought I was going to get a few smacks”.
His late wife had been able to manage the son, but now "he wants to take over. He wants to be number one," the man told Judge John Campbell.
He said another son, who is also in his 50s, was drinking a lot. “All he wants to do is drink, drink, drink. Cans. Any few bob he gets from the Post Office, he drinks it.” When he’s drunk , he said, “he’s like a demon”.
READ MORE
Takes drugs
The third son, who is in his mid-40s, takes drugs, “anything he can get his hands on”, and recently caused a fire in the house.
Judge Campbell granted interim protection orders against the three men, meaning they can be found guilty of a criminal offence if they put their father in fear or threaten violence against him.
A hearing in July will consider whether a longer-term order should be made, after the men have been granted the opportunity to give their side of the story. A protection order does not mean a person has to leave their home.
A woman who asked the court for a protection order against her adult grandson said that since her husband had died two years ago, her grandson thinks “I’m the man of the house.” When he doesn’t get his way, she said, he throws furniture and bangs doors.
The woman and the young man share the house with one of her sons, who is not the younger man’s father. The grandson has been living in the house since he was a child.
Since the Covid-19 lockdown, he had not been able to visit his baby, the grandmother said. “This annoys him.”
The woman’s son gave evidence that he had been recently threatened by his nephew. The judge granted interim temporary protection orders to both the grandmother and her son.
A woman who was granted a temporary protection order against her husband said they had been having difficulties for some time but the lockdown had “highlighted the problem”.
They were both working from home and recently he had progressed from being verbally abusive to being violent, and was also now making their daughter frightened.
Prolonged outburst
Another woman who is working from home said her husband, who is also working from home, had a prolonged outburst on Saturday that traumatised not just her and her family but also the neighbours.
She has children trying to study at home, including one who is doing exams at Trinity College Dublin.
“I never thought I would be in this situation, never in my life,” she said. “It is humiliating and embarrassing.”
She had called gardaí before about her husband, she told Judge Campbell, who granted an interim protection order.
A woman who had secured an interim barring order against her adult son earlier this month was asked by the judge what the atmosphere in her house had been like since then.
“Do you know what?” she said. “For the first time in years I feel a sense of peace in my own home. But I also feel that I have a lost a son, and I am grieving him.”
She said she would like the order to be made for the maximum period, which is three years.
She was concerned for her other child, and she did not want her son’s hatred for her to get to the point where he would hit her. “It’s like he blacks out. He goes mad. I don’t want him to have to carry that knowledge.” Asked whether her son drank alcohol, the woman said he “smokes weed”.
Another woman told the court that her former boyfriend used to work in construction but was now unemployed because of the lockdown.
“He is drinking every single night,” she told Judge Campbell. They got in a fight on Saturday and he pushed her when he came into the kitchen and found her pouring two bottles of Jameson down the sink.
She was concerned for her own welfare and that of her children. The judge granted an interim barring order against the man.


theirishtimes--2020-04-28--Grafton St in pandemic lockdown, where patience is wearing thin

One month on from the imposition of the first severe Covid-19 restrictions , there were distinct signs on Dublin ’ s Grafton Street on Monday that people are becoming increasingly frustrated .
Just a handful of shops were open , but more people were about .
Small groups carrying bags from Boots and Dunnes Stores trickled out of the St Stephen ’ s Green Centre .
However , Monday was quieter than the weekend .
“ It is busier than it was at the start of April for sure , but today is nowhere near as bad as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one security guard said .
Nearby in Government Buildings on Merrion Street , official Liz Canavan was issuing her weekly morning bulletin , urging people to stay at home , extolling the progress made , but warning that there is more to do .
Walking towards St Stephen ’ s Green , Patricia O ’ Rourke , however , was not a happy shopper .
“ It is all a mess , ” she said simply .
“ The green is closed one minute and then open the next .
“ Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the North and in through the airport and I can ’ t even visit my brother on the other side of the city even though he is sick.
” Patience is wearing thin .
“ You can do this for a certain amount of time , but then it gets too much .
All I want to do is see my family .
I am not interested in going to pubs or restaurants or parties .
“ If restrictions were relaxed even a little bit then I could go and see my family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do now , ” said O ’ Rourke , who lives on Kevin Street .
The idea that older people could remain living with restrictions for months horrifies her .
“ It is too much .
I was sitting in a park a few days ago and a guard told me I had to go home as I couldn ’ t be out for more than an hour .
I wanted to challenge him but I didn ’ t know if what he was saying was true so I didn ’ t .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ my own on a bench in a park .
I don ’ t know what harm I was doing , ” she said , as some people passed by wearing face masks , or scarves , some worn tightly , others dangled loose .
Gesturing towards some of them , O ’ Rourke said : “ To be honest I think the people who were stupid before are stupider now .
I think Leo [ Varadkar ] will be strangled if there isn ’ t some sort of lift .
Apart from anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ara Lopez from Mexico and her flatmate Joaquin Figueroa spoke during a break from buying groceries .
“ It is a little sad to see Dublin like this , ” said Lopez , pointing to boarded-up shops .
“ We live in a small apartment and have no outside space but we are staying positive and we walk a lot every day around the city and then we go shopping .
That is just so weird and full of drama , ” she added .
John Gannon from Dublin 7 should be travelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For him , the key to salvation has been a morning walk and nightly online viewings of New York ’ s Metropolitan Opera : “ It has been just beautiful , ” he said .

Conor Pope reports from Grafton Street, Dublin a month after he did so when coronavirus restrictions began and sees an increase of footfall in the area despite those restrictions still being in place. Video: Bryan O'Brien
One month on from the imposition of the first severe Covid-19 restrictions, there were distinct signs on Dublin's Grafton Street on Monday that people are becoming increasingly frustrated.
Just a handful of shops were open, but more people were about. Small groups carrying bags from Boots and Dunnes Stores trickled out of the St Stephen's Green Centre.
However, Monday was quieter than the weekend. “It is busier than it was at the start of April for sure, but today is nowhere near as bad as it was on Saturday. That was mental,” one security guard said.
Feeding the dog on Grafton Street. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Nearby in Government Buildings on Merrion Street, official Liz Canavan was issuing her weekly morning bulletin, urging people to stay at home, extolling the progress made, but warning that there is more to do.
READ MORE
Brenda Ryan, on Grafton Street, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Walking towards St Stephen’s Green, Patricia O’Rourke, however, was not a happy shopper. “It is all a mess,” she said simply. “The green is closed one minute and then open the next.
“Then we have people coming down here from the North and in through the airport and I can’t even visit my brother on the other side of the city even though he is sick.”
Patience is wearing thin. “You can do this for a certain amount of time, but then it gets too much. All I want to do is see my family. I am not interested in going to pubs or restaurants or parties.
“If restrictions were relaxed even a little bit then I could go and see my family, that is all I want to do now,” said O’Rourke, who lives on Kevin Street.
Grass growing along Grafton Street, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
The idea that older people could remain living with restrictions for months horrifies her.
“It is too much. I was sitting in a park a few days ago and a guard told me I had to go home as I couldn’t be out for more than an hour. I wanted to challenge him but I didn’t know if what he was saying was true so I didn’t.
“But I was just sitting on my own on a bench in a park. I don’t know what harm I was doing,” she said, as some people passed by wearing face masks, or scarves, some worn tightly, others dangled loose.
Patricia O’Rourke on Grafton Street. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Gesturing towards some of them, O’Rourke said: “To be honest I think the people who were stupid before are stupider now. I think Leo [Varadkar] will be strangled if there isn’t some sort of lift. Apart from anything else I need the hairdressers badly.”
Ara Lopez from Mexico and her flatmate Joaquin Figueroa spoke during a break from buying groceries. "It is a little sad to see Dublin like this," said Lopez, pointing to boarded-up shops.
“We live in a small apartment and have no outside space but we are staying positive and we walk a lot every day around the city and then we go shopping. That is just so weird and full of drama,” she added.
John Gannon from Dublin 7 should be travelling soon, but everything is on hold. For him, the key to salvation has been a morning walk and nightly online viewings of New York's Metropolitan Opera: "It has been just beautiful," he said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-28--Covid-19 cases generally increase the closer one gets to the Border

A pattern is developing in relation to the geographical spread of Covid-19 cases across the Republic , with incidence generally rising the closer one moves to the Border .
The exception is Dublin , which has had the most cases of the disease relative to population since the start of the pandemic until recent days when it was surpassed by Co Cavan .
The higher rates of infection in Dublin are no surprise for a virus that is spread through close contact , which is more likely to occur in big cities .
Across the world , with some exceptions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that prospers in overcrowded living and work settings .
The question for Irish public health officials is why rates are so high in Border counties and why they seem to growing faster than anywhere else in the country .
Over the past three weeks incidence of coronavirus have grown 242 per cent in Dublin , 399 per cent in Cavan , 573 per cent in Monaghan and 819 per cent in Louth .
There is no breakdown of Covid-19 deaths by county and it might not tell us all that much anyway as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these tend to be located in urban centres .
There is a general hospital in Cavan town but it has had just 20 confirmed cases of patients with Covid-19 , and only one in the last 24 hours .
Scores of staff have been infected over the past two months , however , so this would account for some of the case numbers in the county .
In common with other areas , the setting up of testing facilities was delayed by some weeks in Cavan .
Now that these are operating at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being detected with a certain amount of “ catch-up ” involved .
Notwithstanding the contribution made by these factors to the case numbers in the Border area , it is hard not to think the differing approach to the crisis taken by the North and the rest of the UK , combined with the common travel area , has played a role in pushing up incidence in the nearest parts of the Republic .
From the start of the outbreak the North and the Republic have followed different paths on travel restrictions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on isolation periods .
As Dr Gabriel Scally has written of the North ’ s decision to end mass testing , “ since March 13th the two parts of the island have been headed in entirely different directions ” .
The UK has since changed tack and re-embraced testing and contract tracing with a newfound enthusiasm , but the damage may have been done back then .
And while Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has asserted that the island of Ireland is “ one epidemiological unit ” , and a memorandum of understanding between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signed on April 7th , the differences in approach persist .
Citizens of the Republic have for weeks been required to restrict their movements to within 2km of home , yet it is not clear if this applies to anyone from the North who crosses the Border .
Gardaí in the Border area have been ordered not to arrest day-tripping Northerners because they do not have the powers to do so under emergency legislation .
While holiday homes across the State are likely to remain empty due to the ban on travel this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case in Co Donegal , where some people from the North have a second residence .
More importantly , as we contemplate easing restrictions , it is hard to see how further waves of infection can be properly controlled due to cross-Border movements unless the approaches taken on either side of that Border are fully harmonised .

A pattern is developing in relation to the geographical spread of Covid-19 cases across the Republic, with incidence generally rising the closer one moves to the Border.
The exception is Dublin, which has had the most cases of the disease relative to population since the start of the pandemic until recent days when it was surpassed by Co Cavan.
The higher rates of infection in Dublin are no surprise for a virus that is spread through close contact, which is more likely to occur in big cities. Across the world, with some exceptions, Covid-19 is mainly an urban disease that prospers in overcrowded living and work settings.
The question for Irish public health officials is why rates are so high in Border counties and why they seem to growing faster than anywhere else in the country.
READ MORE
Over the past three weeks incidence of coronavirus have grown 242 per cent in Dublin, 399 per cent in Cavan, 573 per cent in Monaghan and 819 per cent in Louth.
There is no breakdown of Covid-19 deaths by county and it might not tell us all that much anyway as many patients die in a hospital and these tend to be located in urban centres.
There is a general hospital in Cavan town but it has had just 20 confirmed cases of patients with Covid-19, and only one in the last 24 hours. Scores of staff have been infected over the past two months, however, so this would account for some of the case numbers in the county.
In common with other areas, the setting up of testing facilities was delayed by some weeks in Cavan. Now that these are operating at a higher throughput, more cases are being detected with a certain amount of “catch-up” involved.
Case numbers
Notwithstanding the contribution made by these factors to the case numbers in the Border area, it is hard not to think the differing approach to the crisis taken by the North and the rest of the UK, combined with the common travel area, has played a role in pushing up incidence in the nearest parts of the Republic.
From the start of the outbreak the North and the Republic have followed different paths on travel restrictions, on testing, on school closures and on isolation periods.
As Dr Gabriel Scally has written of the North's decision to end mass testing, "since March 13th the two parts of the island have been headed in entirely different directions".
The UK has since changed tack and re-embraced testing and contract tracing with a newfound enthusiasm, but the damage may have been done back then.
And while Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has asserted that the island of Ireland is "one epidemiological unit", and a memorandum of understanding between the departments of health North and South was signed on April 7th, the differences in approach persist.
Citizens of the Republic have for weeks been required to restrict their movements to within 2km of home, yet it is not clear if this applies to anyone from the North who crosses the Border.
Day-tripping
Gardaí in the Border area have been ordered not to arrest day-tripping Northerners because they do not have the powers to do so under emergency legislation.
While holiday homes across the State are likely to remain empty due to the ban on travel this coming weekend, this may not be the case in Co Donegal, where some people from the North have a second residence.
More importantly, as we contemplate easing restrictions, it is hard to see how further waves of infection can be properly controlled due to cross-Border movements unless the approaches taken on either side of that Border are fully harmonised.


theirishtimes--2020-04-28--Gardaí deal with big increase in house parties and social gatherings

Gardaí dealt with a large increase in house parties and social gatherings over the weekend as concern grows over public complacency regarding the Covid-19 movement restrictions .
Official figures are not yet available but anecdotal evidence from gardaí across the country suggests a significant increase in people gathering together in homes , back gardens and on the streets of residential areas .
Gardaí in the capital received dozens of reports of parties .
In Dublin Metropolitan Region ( DMR ) North members received reports of about 15 gatherings between Friday and Sunday , most of which dispersed without incident , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger in Donegal and other Border counties than Northern Ireland residents travelling in the Republic are not subject to the movement restrictions .
However a garda based in Donegal said the problem is being overstated .
“ There are problems over the Border from major urban centres like Derry but elsewhere in the west of the county we ’ re not seeing much .
I ’ d say about 5 per cent of the holiday homes are occupied .
And those that are occupied are occupied by older people who , in fairness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here .
The reports come as senior gardaí become increasingly concerned about the growing public complacency surrounding Covid-19 .
Last week officials reported increased traffic and pedestrians on roads and footpaths .
A second stage of Operation Fanacht , the high-visibility Garda operation to police the movement restrictions , is to begin on Tuesday and will run over the May bank holiday weekend until next Monday .
It will see 2,500 gardaí deployed at any one time to ensure people are only engaging in necessary travel .
“ When we last ran Operation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compliance from the public .
It is vital that we see that again , ” Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey said .
“ This is a critical week for the country .
If we all work together , we can help save the lives of our family , friends , neighbours and colleagues.
” Later on Tuesday the Garda will also release figures for the number of arrests made under the Covid-19 legislation .
It is expected the figures will show a large increase on the 34 people who had been arrested as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in contrast to the first few weeks of restrictions , most arrests are now not being made at checkpoints .
“ People at checkpoints have their excuses ready now .
They know to say ‘ I ’ m going to see granny ’ or ‘ I ’ m going to the shops ’ .
And we have very little way of checking , ” said a garda in the north west .
More arrests are now occurring at parties and at social gatherings , many of which took place on residential streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large amounts of alcohol .
Recent figures show a massive increase in off-license sales since the lockdown began .
Dublin Lord Mayor Tom Brabazon said there was a “ party fever ” in Dublin on Saturday night and that revellers were taking the lives of their elderly neighbours “ with a pinch of salt ” .
The trend is not just confined to Dublin .
Gardaí in areas such as Sligo Town , Limerick and Letterkenny also reported increased numbers of public order arrests over the weekend of people who refused to comply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said most people are “ very compliant ” but that there is growing frustrating that some sectors of society are perceived as being “ allowed to ignore the guidelines ” .
Meanwhile , there has been a large reduction in visits to isolated beauty spots in the face of increased Garda monitoring of such locations .
But there has been a visible increase of visitors to many parks and beaches , particularly by families .
A Garda helicopter spent much of the weekend over central Dublin watching hundreds of walkers in the Phoenix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vast majority were social distancing .

High-visibility Garda operations to police the movement restrictions will run from Tuesday and over the May bank holiday weekend until next Monday. Photograph: Collins
Gardaí dealt with a large increase in house parties and social gatherings over the weekend as concern grows over public complacency regarding the Covid-19 movement restrictions.
Official figures are not yet available but anecdotal evidence from gardaí across the country suggests a significant increase in people gathering together in homes, back gardens and on the streets of residential areas.
Gardaí in the capital received dozens of reports of parties. In Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North members received reports of about 15 gatherings between Friday and Sunday, most of which dispersed without incident, sources say.
There is also increasing anger in Donegal and other Border counties than Northern Ireland residents travelling in the Republic are not subject to the movement restrictions.
READ MORE
However a garda based in Donegal said the problem is being overstated. “There are problems over the Border from major urban centres like Derry but elsewhere in the west of the county we’re not seeing much. I’d say about 5 per cent of the holiday homes are occupied. And those that are occupied are occupied by older people who, in fairness, do spend a lot of time here.
The reports come as senior gardaí become increasingly concerned about the growing public complacency surrounding Covid-19. Last week officials reported increased traffic and pedestrians on roads and footpaths.
A second stage of Operation Fanacht, the high-visibility Garda operation to police the movement restrictions, is to begin on Tuesday and will run over the May bank holiday weekend until next Monday. It will see 2,500 gardaí deployed at any one time to ensure people are only engaging in necessary travel.
"When we last ran Operation Fanacht there was a high level of compliance from the public. It is vital that we see that again," Deputy Garda Commissioner John Twomey said.
“This is a critical week for the country. If we all work together, we can help save the lives of our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues.”
Later on Tuesday the Garda will also release figures for the number of arrests made under the Covid-19 legislation. It is expected the figures will show a large increase on the 34 people who had been arrested as of last Tuesday.
Off-license sales
Garda sources said, in contrast to the first few weeks of restrictions, most arrests are now not being made at checkpoints.
“People at checkpoints have their excuses ready now. They know to say ‘I’m going to see granny’ or ‘I’m going to the shops’. And we have very little way of checking,” said a garda in the north west.
More arrests are now occurring at parties and at social gatherings, many of which took place on residential streets in Dublin over the weekend and involved large amounts of alcohol. Recent figures show a massive increase in off-license sales since the lockdown began.
Dublin Lord Mayor Tom Brabazon said there was a "party fever" in Dublin on Saturday night and that revellers were taking the lives of their elderly neighbours "with a pinch of salt".
The trend is not just confined to Dublin. Gardaí in areas such as Sligo Town, Limerick and Letterkenny also reported increased numbers of public order arrests over the weekend of people who refused to comply with Garda orders.
A Sligo garda said most people are “very compliant” but that there is growing frustrating that some sectors of society are perceived as being “allowed to ignore the guidelines”.
Meanwhile, there has been a large reduction in visits to isolated beauty spots in the face of increased Garda monitoring of such locations. But there has been a visible increase of visitors to many parks and beaches, particularly by families.
A Garda helicopter spent much of the weekend over central Dublin watching hundreds of walkers in the Phoenix Park and surrounding areas. Sources said the vast majority were social distancing.