Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1278. To ask the Minister for Health the restrictions on partners and-or accompanying persons attending for labour and prenatal appointments in the maternity services under levels 4 and 5 of the Living with Covid plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32904/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1279. To ask the Minister for Health if garden centres are allowed to operate under levels 4 and 5 of the Living with Covid plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32905/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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You will be aware that the situation regarding COVID-19 has been, and continues to be, an evolving situation. COVID-19 is still having a major impact both here in Ireland and elsewhere.

On Tuesday 15 September the Government published ‘Resilience and Recovery 2020-2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19’. This new Plan outlines our medium-term strategy for COVID-19 and sets out a Framework of 5 Levels which outline the broad measures which will apply depending on the level of the virus at any given time. It will be possible for different regions and counties to be at different levels, depending on prevailing epidemiological situation . The Plan is designed to help everyone – individuals, organisations and sectors – to better understand, anticipate and prepare for the measures that might be introduced to contain transmission of the virus. The intention is that Departments and sectors will provide guidance for specific sectors and activities in line with the 5 level framework.

Under Level 4 of the Plan, essential retail and businesses which are primarily outdoors are permitted to open and therefore at Level 4 garden centres are permitted to open.

At Level 5 of the Plan, only essential retail is permitted to open and all other retail is closed and therefore at Level 5 garden centres are not permitted to open.

The public health advice relating to Covid-19 is kept under continuing review by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and it provides advice to Government in line with the current epidemiological position. The latest public health advice on these matters is available at the links below and is updated on a regular basis:

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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On the 1 October the Health Protection Surveillance Centre’s (HPSC) new COVID-19 Guidance on visitations to Long Term Residential Care Facilities was published. The revised guidance followed a substantial review process.

This guidance aligns with the 5 level framework of restrictive measures as outlined in the Government’s Living with COVID-19 Plan, to support long-term residential care providers in the discharge of their responsibilities and to support in the safe visiting, to the greatest extent possible, having regard for the challenging times in which we are living.

The new guidance provides a clear and open framework for visiting. It provides guidance on the measures required to be adopted by nursing homes and by visitors to mitigate risks associated with visiting. In circumstances where the level of the virus circulating in the community is high, there is greater risk to nursing homes and other vulnerable settings and people. It is of great concern that heightened community transmission will bring further unwitting transmission of COVID-19 into nursing homes impacting on those most vulnerable to the virus. In response to the overarching situation, the Government took the decision to move the whole country to level 5 of the Framework of Restrictive measures from 21st October. This was a significant decision. The purpose of these measures is to respond to the current situation, break the chains of transmission and reduce the amount of the virus circulating in the community. With regard to visits to nursing homes, the public health advice in relation to Level 5 is clear – that visits should be suspended aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.

The advice also re-emphasises that in circumstances where visiting may need to be restricted or suspended in nursing homes for the protection of residents and staff, alternative arrangements such as “window visiting” is acceptable across all 5 levels of the framework of restrictive measures, providing a nursing home can safely facilitate them, and that arrangements should be in place to support virtual visiting (telephone or video-link) to the greatest extent possible.

As I have previously publicly stated, I encourage all nursing homes to remain familiar with the latest public health advice and support, and to make every effort to continue to facilitate visitors in line with public health advice. While many nursing homes have shown great, innovative practice throughout the pandemic, I continue to urge all nursing homes to have plans in place for innovative, safe alternative visiting and communication arrangements for residents and their families and friends, during periods of enhanced protective measures. The importance of continued social interaction of residents and their families cannot be understated and every effort should be made, in line with public health advice, to ensure that these interactions continue, including through window visits.

On 22 September I wrote to all nursing home providers with regard to the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel’s recommendations, with a particular focus on communication, both in terms of the ongoing situation and visiting protocols.

Officials in my Department have also written separately to the national representative body for nursing homes, encouraging providers to maintain familiarity with the latest public health advice and support, to make every effort to continue to facilitate and ensure that nursing home residents receive visitors in critical and compassionate circumstances, in line with public health advice, and to communicate with family and friends on an ongoing basis in order to support positive mental health and wellbeing. These measures are in place to safeguard the health of residents in these facilities, and also the health of those staff that provide care and support to residents.