“It is in our Hands” a Joint Statement

Joint Statement on behalf of the Mayor of Waterford City and County, Cllr. Damien Geoghegan, Chief Executive of Waterford Council, Mr. Michael Walsh, Chief Superintendant of An Garda Siochana, Padraig Dunne and Chief Officer of South East Community Healthcare, Ms. Kate Killeen White.

“It is in our Hands” a Joint Statement; It is clear that the Covid-19 numbers in Waterford have been growing in recent weeks and we are now at a critical juncture for this disease.
We have a window of opportunity to bring this disease under control and to keep Waterford at Level 2 restrictions. To do so, we all need to act now and break the chains of transmission, to ensure we live as optimally as we can with the virus, keep our schools open, resume non-covid healthcare and protect our vulnerable people.
We are asking you and your family to take positive action immediately, and change your current behaviours.
This means:

• Meeting less people inside your home.
• Limiting the number of people you meet outside your home as much as possible.
• Avoiding crowds.
• Prioritising the people you need to see, keeping groups small, and seeing them regularly, rather than meeting lots of different people from different households. Concentrate on your core circle in the coming weeks.
• With those you do meet, be particularly attentive to safe practices – keep your distance, wear a face covering where appropriate, cough into a tissue and bin it, wash your hands.

We all know the core messages, and it’s time to double our efforts to stay safe.  It is in our Hands
Remember this disease can spread even if you have no symptoms. Act as though you have the virus to protect your family, friends and colleagues and others you meet going about your day. Keeping that little bit of extra distance from others is really important as we try to work safely while living with the threat of this virus.
If you have symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell, loss or change to sense of taste, isolate yourself from others and phone your GP for advice – remember that a referral and test for COVID are free and you do not have to be registered with a GP.
Our individual actions do matter. They all count. They do work. The good news is that we know the most effective tools to keep this virus at bay. We just need to keep working with them.
As a collective we are appealing to the people of Waterford to please maintain social distance and limit your number of close contacts in the coming days. Whether in our workplaces, our homes or social settings let us all be advocates of Covid good behaviour.
It is in our hands!