Age Action and Active Retirement Ireland today called on the public to act in the interests of people who are vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 – older people and people with underlying health conditions.
Alarmed by reports on social and mainstream media of people disregarding the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and the Government to practice social distancing in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, Age Action and Active Retirement Ireland who have a combined membership of approximately 35,000 people, criticised the actions of customers and some licenced premises operators.
Paddy Connolly, CEO of Age Action said ‘This isn’t mid-term break, this is a public health emergency. People need to cop on and understand the risk they are exposing their families and friends to, not to mention the health care workers who are on the frontline of COVID-19. We have a duty of care to the members of our society who are most at risk to the impacts of COVID-19. We need to show intergenerational solidarity by acting responsibly in line with the Department of Health’s guidelines.’
Maureen Kavanagh, CEO of Active Retirement Ireland said ‘These are very trying times for older people, who are among the high-risk categories of COVID-19 victims. We are appealing to everyone's better nature and asking people to think of older members of their communities. We have seen an outpouring of goodwill across the country and we encourage everyone to support older people who may be isolated. This includes a lot of grandparents who would normally be asked to mind children. For the good of their health and that of others, we ask that everyone be mindful of the advice from the HSE.’
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