EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AT A GLANCE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ADVICE ON LIVING WITH A VIRUS PATIENT
If you share a house with someone with Covid-19 you need to restrict your movements as much as possible. The Department of Health is advising the following
RESTRICTED MOVEMENT MEANS
THAT YOU STAY AT HOME AND: Do not go to school* or work**.
Do not use public transport.
Do not go to meetings or any crowded settings.
Do not have visitors in your home.
Do not go shopping – where possible, order groceries online or have family or friends drop them off.
Keep away from older people, anyone with a long-term medical condition and pregnant. Do not travel outside or within Ireland.
Make sure you do the following: 1. CLEAN YOUR HANDS OFTEN
(Wash with soap or handrub/gel)
2. DON’T SPEND MUCH TIME WITH THE PERSON WHO IS SICK
Stay out of the room they are in as much as possible and avoid touching. Stay at least one metre and where possible two metres away from them.
Use your phones to talk, even though you are in the same home.
3. MAKE SURE ANY ROOM YOU HAVE TO SHARE IS WELL VENTILATED
Keep windows open as much as you can.
4. DO NOT INVITE VISITORS INTO THE HOME
If someone urgently needs to come in, keep them at least one metre and where possible two metres away from sick person.
5. ENSURE PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF SEVERE ILLNESS ARE NOT NEAR THE SICK PERSON
This includes people living at home who: have a long-term illness; may have a weak immune system; are over 70 or are pregnant Try to avoid contact during the 14-day period when you are restricting your movements.
6. AVOID SHARING HOUSEHOLD ITEMS
Do not share food, dishes, drinking glasses, cups, cutlery towels, bedding or other items with the person who has symptoms until the items have been carefully washed.
Wash items in a dishwasher or with washing up liquid and hot water. Wear rubber gloves.
7. TOILETING AND BATHING
The person with symptoms of coronavirus should have their own toilet and bathroom. If they can’t, check that the room is clean after use, and clean your hands afterwards. Do not share towels.
8. HOUSEHOLD CLEANING
Clean surfaces in the home with your usual cleaning products every day. This includes kitchen counter-tops, table-tops, doorknobs, banisters, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets and bedside tables.
Use your usual household products, like detergents and bleach, as these are very good at getting rid of the virus.
Wear rubber gloves when cleaning surfaces or handling dirty laundry. Wash and dry them after use and wash hands well.
Wash reusable cleaning cloths in a hot wash cycle of a washing machine after use.
Put disposable gloves and cleaning cloths in a plastic waste bag after use. Tie bag when almost full, put into a second bag, tie and leave somewhere safe for three days before collection by your waste company.