Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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782. To ask the Minister for Health when the specific guidance will be published for those aged over 70 years of age under Covid-19 level 2 restrictions. [26362/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, on Tuesday 15 September 2020 the Government published it's medium term plan Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 which frames Ireland's approach to managing and living with COVID-19 in a range of areas over the next 6 - 9 months.

The plan sets out five levels of response, each with a number of measures designed to help us all lower COVID-19 transmission, and setting out what is permitted at that moment in time. It aims to allow society and businesses to be able to operate as normally as possible, while continuing to suppress the virus. The plan is framed to account for periods during which there is a low incidence of the disease, with isolated clusters and low community transmission, through to situations where there is a high or rapidly increasing incidence, widespread community transmission and the pandemic is escalating rapidly in Ireland and globally. It recognises the need for society and business to be allowed to continue as normally as possible and is designed so that either national or county level restrictions can be applied.

Each level outlines what is permitted for social or family gatherings, work and public transport, bars, hotels and restaurants, exercise activities and religious services. Any measure included at any level in this plan is underpinned by expert advice and recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

The Deputy may wish to note that under Level 2, those aged over 70 years and the medically vulnerable are advised to exercise judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside home.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has published Guidance on cocooning to protect people over 70 years and those extremely medically vulnerable from COVID-19 which is available at: www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/vulnerablegroupsguidance/COVID-19%20Guidance%20for%20extremely%20medically%20vulnerable%20groups.pdf.