Tony Holohan: 'Ration' social contacts over Christmas to minimise Covid-19 spread
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The Chief Medical Officer has warned people to "ration" their social contacts over the Christmas period to help limit the spread of Covid-19 here.
Dr Tony Holohan said that now was the time for people to decide who they are planning to meet up with over the holidays.
His warning came as the government also issued guidance for shoppers, [url=
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40189494.html]advising people to shop alone at off-peak times and to wear masks in order to minimise their risk of spreading the virus[/url].
Speaking on this morning, Dr Holohan said he understood that people wanted to get out and celebrate, but that limiting social contacts was the only way to minimise the chance of potential transmission of Covid-19.
He said: "Think hard over the next two weeks about what is essential in terms of preparing for the festive period.
Today the Government approved NPHET’s advice on prioritisation of #COVID19 vaccines. This is an important step in the development of the vaccine strategy, being finalised by the High-Level taskforce for COVID-19 vaccination. https://t.co/yZ4UDKY0ri
— Dr Tony Holohan (@DrTonyHolohan) December 8, 2020
"For some, this might be shopping but for others, it could be social activities like eating in restaurants.
Dr Holohan said there was a responsibility on every individual to make the Christmas holidays as safe as possible for others.
"Particularly, we're worried about people who are over the age of 70 and people with underlying medical conditions,” he said.
Dr Holohan said that the public had kept up a high level of adherence to public health guidelines so far, but that now more than ever, it was important to "hold on to that."
"It would be a real shame if we let go and had s significant surge of infection before were in a position to get the vaccine to the population in the early part of 2021,” he added.