Thank you for your continuing support in helping to share information about COVID-19. Below are a few communications updates for you.

 

Public Health Measures

Ireland is at level 5 restrictions.

You can see the measures in place here.

Everyone is asked, for the protection of our friends, family and the frontline, to please stay at home.

 

COVID-19 Vaccination Programme

The vaccination programme continues to be rolled out nationwide, and more than 240,000 vaccines have been administered.

Daily vaccination data is now available to all on the COVID-19 Data Hub and is on the COVID-19 Tracker App. The data is from 48 hours previously to allow for validation.

The next group (people aged 85 and over) in the COVID-19 vaccine programme will be invited by GPs from next Monday, 15^th February, bringing the vaccine programme firmly into the community. You’ll find answers to your questions about the vaccination programme on www.hse.ie/covid19vaccines.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Registration for frontline healthcare workers

The COVID-19 vaccine registration portal is now available for frontline healthcare workers to register for their vaccine. Frontline healthcare workers who have not already registered for a vaccine are being asked to register their details using the online portal over the coming days. This includes frontline healthcare workers working in direct patient care in:

• HSE or HSE-funded organisations
• Private hospitals or clinics
• Community based not-for-profit and private healthcare providers not directly funded by the HSE.

 

Before you register, please read the Guidelines for sequencing and registration process for HCW COVID vaccination.pdf (size 803 KB). This will help you to identify which group you are in.  Other healthcare workers will be invited to register when it is their turn – this includes management, administration and other non-patient/service user facing personnel.

Frontline healthcare workers can register here http://www.hse.ie/hcwvaccine.

 

COVID-19 vaccine information for people with sight loss

Working with NCBI, information about COVID-19 vaccines for people with sight loss have been created in Braille, audio and large print. These have been distributed to NCBI members. The large print format is also available on hse.ie.

 

Face coverings

Face coverings are now mandatory in retail outlets, banks, credit unions and post offices, in taxis, in bus and rail stations, on public transport and for workers in customer facing roles in cafés, bars and restaurants. You can find the latest information on face coverings here.

 

COVID-19 posters

You can download the latest COVID-19 posters from gov.ie here and hse.ie here.

 

Tobacco Free Ireland webinar

Wednesday, 17^th February (from 12-1pm)

You can register for the webinar here.

HSE Health and Wellbeing Tobacco Free Ireland programme are hosting a special webinar on National No Smoking Day (17^th February). We are asking for your support to engage smokers in the 28 Day Challenge in March and to join forces with the HSE to build a Tobacco Free Ireland. People who smoke are more likely to get COVID-19 and the risk of having a severe infection is more likely compared to those who don’t smoke.

 

Ireland Reads

As part of the Healthy Ireland ‘Keep Well’ campaign and following Slaintecare funding, the recently launched ‘Ireland Reads’ campaign is about promoting the power of reading for enjoyment and wellbeing. Taking some time to relax and do enjoyable things has never been more important, given COVID-19, and there is evidence that reading is a great way to get a sense of escape and boost wellbeing. More details can be found on www.irelandreads.ie.

Campaign resources available on https://www.irelandreads.ie/#resources

Ireland Reads logo, imagery and illustrations by well-known illustrator Tara O’Brien are available to download at
https://wetransfer.com/downloads/6e05ba57819dedc661d368388bda8edc20210202213543/b55bee

Ireland Reads promotional video is available to view at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrdqudzgQds and can be downloaded here.

Follow Libraries Ireland on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook – use #IrelandReads or #SqueezeInARead.

 

Healthy Ireland and sponsorship of Operation Transformation

The ‘Keep Well’ cross-Government community resilience campaign co-ordinated by Healthy Ireland and funded by Sláintecare is sponsoring Operation Transformation this year.

The remaining programmes will go out at 9.30 on Wednesday nights on RTE 1 TV.

Operation Transformation is a TV series on RTE 1 encouraging the Irish public to get active and get healthy. Over the course of the show it gives the nation the tools they need to get moving, lose weight and feel great. It is however much more than a TV programme – it is an empowering movement with the ability to have a significant impact on the behaviours we need to change. The viewership for the last 3 weeks has been greater than 400,000 viewers per episode.

The leaders and themes are supported across the Healthy Ireland social media channels, in particular Facebook and also a series of helpful videos, similar to above. The Healthy Ireland team would be grateful if you would share this information across your social channels.

 

Where to find COVID-19 Vaccination Information

We encourage everyone to read about the COVID-19 vaccine and to get their information from a factual, trusted source – here are the links to the pages with information on the vaccine:

• Check hse.ie/covid19vaccine for information about the vaccine, information on this page is updated regularly
• Find the vaccine information materials at www.hse.ie/covid19vaccinematerials
• Details on getting the COVID-19 vaccine is updated regularly here
• Read the full COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy
• Read the National Immunisation Advisory Committee Chapter about COVID-19 vaccine
• COVID-19 vaccine information for health professionals

 

Public Health Information

As always, for the most up to date information and advice on Coronavirus, please go to: https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/ and https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/. Clinical and professional guidance relating to COVID-19 is available on www.hpsc.ie where you’ll find up to date guidance for healthcare settings and non-clinical settings.

Please check here for the most up to date partner resources for COVID-19.

You can find the COVID-19 A-Z information here from the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

Please also check the Healthy Ireland site here with further resources and information on the Keep Well campaign.

You can view the latest information on how Ireland is responding to cases of COVID-19 here.

Ireland’s COVID-19 Data Hub is available here.

 

Many thanks for your continued support,

Covid-19 Health Communications Stakeholder Support