Concern, anger over ‘holiday’ gatherings
THE good weather brought people out of their homes at the week-end to many of the county’s beauty spots but concern has been expressed that social distancing is not being observed in light of the Covid-19 crisis.
Pictures of busy beaches and popular scenic walks have led to calls for tighter restrictions on movements and these are to be discussed by the Government this week.
One county councillor has called for all caravan parks to be closed.
Cllr Marie Casserly made the call in light of concerns over the spread of Covid-19 with large crowds gathering in scenic areas last week-end.
Cllr Casserly said she had been receiving a lot of calls over the weekend from concerned members of the public in County Sligo and south Donegal over the amount of people staying in caravan parks over the past few days and the weekend in particular.
“As a public representative I’m very worried about people gathering in large numbers in caravan parks as if on holidays. This is no holiday, this is a matter of life and death. It’s impossible to keep social distance in camping sites and caravan parks with small shops and cafes in caravan parks.
“With this in mind I am requesting that for the good of the entire country all camping and caravan parks should be temporarily closed with immediate effect,” she said.
Councillor Thomas Walsh was more forthright in his criticism of those not keeping social distancing while out and about.
“My phone never stopped with calls and messages of concerns about congregated groupings. In Collooney Gardaí had to be called twice to a derelict property. Gardaí had also to be called to Rossnowlagh beach and Bundoran where fish and chip units and ice cream vans were swamped with queues and beaches crowded. We are wasting Garda resources.
“I was contacted about large gatherings in Rossnowlagh, Strandhill, Rosses Point, Glencar Waterfall and Mullaghmore. This simply is not good enough. We have retired healthcare staff in their thousands, putting their lives at risk and returning to work to save others. Doctors leaving Australia to come back home to aid our health service.
“What we have seen over the last 48 hours is irresponsible and selfish behaviour. The ice-cream can wait, the beach can wait, that second walk can wait. Your elderly mother/father, grandparent or aunt’s life will not wait.
“Are the scenes from the Chinese intensive care unit or the tens of bodies lined up in a make shift hospital morgue in Italy or the hundreds lying on floors in Spanish hospitals not enough?
The advice is clear. If it is not a place where social distancing can be applied then don’t go there or don’t get out of your car. It is now time to take personal responsibility and wise up, what we are dealing with is here. And it’s here now. We all have a duty of care to the community we live in”.