The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has urged people to maintain social distancing guidelines and stay at home over the long weekend, emphasising the importance of every person’s actions during the Covid-19 crisis.

Speaking ahead of the long weekend, Dr. Padraig McGarry, President of the IMO, also recognised the public’s role during the Covid-19 crisis, saying that healthcare workers had huge appreciation for the sacrifices the public were making. “As tough as it is to be apart from loved ones and friends for such a long period of time, we must remember that we are doing the right thing by keeping our distance from each other and following the guidelines of the Government and public health experts.

“The extraordinary sacrifices that the public have made have had a huge impact and will not be forgotten. However, we must continue to keep our guard up because this virus has not been beaten yet.

“Every decision we make can be the difference between life and death and will have significant repercussions down the line. Whether those repercussions are positive or negative depends on us all. This is a challenge that we must face together as a society. It is difficult but we can overcome it through maintaining the solidarity that has been on show ever since Covid-19 emerged in Ireland.”

Dr. McGarry said that life as we knew it had changed utterly in the past number of weeks. “The shockwaves from the virus will be felt in Ireland for a long time, and people need to prepare for the fact that a return to some kind of normality won’t come overnight, but rather in planned phases.”

He urged people to stay at home over the long weekend, but also to seek medical help if they needed it. “Covid-19 has had a massive effect on us all, but other healthcare needs have not gone away because of it. Our healthcare workers are still here providing assistance and treatment for a range of issues in a safe environment so make sure you get in touch with your GP or emergency services immediately if you experience any symptoms that concern you. It is also important that children present for routine vaccinations as normal. ”