Message from Covid-19 Stakeholder Communications Support 17 July 2020
Dear Colleague,
Thank you for your continuing support and sharing information about COVID-19 with your stakeholders and audiences. Below are a few communications updates for you.
COVID Tracker App
We are delighted that the COVID Tracker App has been downloaded over 1.2 million times to date and is continuing to increase daily. Your support has contributed to this success and we would be grateful for your continued assistance. We are sending you the partner pack again along with an advertisement which will be placed in newspapers around the country this weekend. You can share this with your colleagues and contacts. You can also find an information leaflet with more detail here and a video with Irish Sign Language here under the heading ‘COVID Tracker app information – ISL’.
We would also ask if you have anyone in your own circle who might like to use it and needs some support in downloading it that you would share your experience with them and help them to do it. The app helps to speed up our existing contact tracing system and get the right advice to the people who need it.
Face Coverings on Public Transport
Face coverings help prevent people who don’t know they have the virus from spreading it to others. They should be worn anywhere it’s difficult to stay 2m apart, like shops or public transport, or when visiting anyone who’s more at risk. Since Monday 13th July, face coverings are mandatory on public transport, after the Minister for Health signed the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A – Temporary Restrictions) (Covid-19) (Face Coverings on Public Transport) Regulations 2020.
You must wear a face covering when using public transport unless you:
are under 13 years old
have an illness, special needs or impairment that would make wearing or removing a face covering upsetting or uncomfortable
You can find more information here. Regulations on the mandatory wearing of face coverings in shops are also due to be prepared.
New Resource Launched for Former Family Carers
A new booklet from Care Alliance Ireland, The Way Ahead, aims to support former carers as they enter a new phase in their lives. The booklet outlines options for returning to paid work, volunteering or further education, as well as online supports and counselling services. The booklet is available free of charge to organisations and to former family carers. You can download it at www.carealliance.ie and you can request hard copies by email to info@carealliance.ie
View a short video summarising the booklet here.
View an extended video detailing the booklet content here.
Stay Safe Guidelines
There are a number of hard copies of the Stay Safe Guidelines booklet still available and if you would like to receive a hard copy, or a number of copies for your organisation, please email us and we will post out.
Following a meeting of the Cabinet on July 22nd, the Government has agreed that the following locations be included as Normal Precautions on the Department of Foreign Affairs Travel Advice: Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco, and San Marino.
The list will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis, based on advice from officials including public health experts. Anyone arriving into Ireland from these countries will not have to restrict their movements. Passengers from any other country outside of those with a Normal Precautions advisory are asked to restrict their movements for 14 days. The general advice is still to avoid non-essential travel overseas. Read more here.
Restricting Your Movements After Arriving in Ireland What You Need to Know
People who arrive in Ireland from countries that are not on the 'green list' have been asked to restrict their movements for 14 days, but what does that mean? The HSE has issued guidance for people arriving in Ireland from another country. Restricting your movements means staying at home and avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible.
Do not: • use public transport • visit others • meet face-to-face with anyone who is at higher risk from coronavirus • go to the shop unless absolutely necessary - wear a face covering if you do.
Read more here.
Pandemic Payment Extended Applications close on 17th September.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is to be extended until next April but will be gradually reduced to €203 per week over that period based on the pre-pandemic earnings of the claimant. The scheme will close to new applicants from September 17th, but for those already on it, there will be three rates of payment instead of two. Read more here.
The Government has announced the July Jobs Stimulus, a €7.4bn package of measures designed to stimulate a jobs-led recovery and build economic confidence while continuing to manage the impact of COVID-19.
The measures launched on Thursday, 23rd July are designed to do 4 things:
Backing Ireland’s Businesses
Helping People Especially young people, get back to work
Building Confidence and investing in communities
Preparing Ireland for the Economy of the Future
The July Jobs Stimulus is the next step in the Governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later this year the Government will set out a National Economic Plan, to chart a long term, jobs-led recovery. It will set out how we secure our public finances in a world where we must live with COVID-19 while driving efforts to decarbonise our economy and prepare for the next phase of technological transformation. Read more here.
Psychological Responses, Coping Strategies and Physical Activity during the Covid-19 Pandemic International Research Study
You are invited to participate in an international research study entitled ‘Psychological Responses, Coping Strategies and Physical Activity during the Covid-19 Pandemic.’ This study is being conducted by Dr. Lindsay Sullivan, a Lecturer in the Discipline of Children’s Studies at NUI Galway. This study is being conducted in 14 countries. This anonymous survey will assess your psychological response and coping strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic, including if and how you maintained physical activity throughout the stay-at-home orders. Your responses to this survey are very important and will help us develop effective strategies to combat future global pandemic(s) and prevent and reduce physical and mental illness. This survey should take you no more than 10 minutes to complete. Survey link: https://bit.ly/38QdyY7.
The public consultation for Sandy Road in Galway is open until 5pm on Friday, 31st July. The views of as many citizens and stakeholders are valuable to inform the next stage of the process.
What is your vision for Sandy Road? Join the last pop-up consultation and have your say!
When: Saturday, 25th July
Time: from 10am-1pm
Where: Shop Street, Galway
Relevant material can be found here.
Email submissions to galway.sandyroad@lda.ie
Fort further info and details on the designs go onto the Galway City Council website here.
Accessibility and Equality for All Businesses and public in Galway City asked to consider accessibility issues associated with social distancing measures
Galway City Council, Galway Chamber and Galway City Partnership in association with Access for All, have launched a call for both businesses and members of the public to consider the challenges faced by people with disabilities, including those with visual impairment and those with mobility issues, as a result of the new social distancing regime we all now find ourselves having to adapt to.
Read more here.
EIL Intercultural Learning Seed Fund Applications Until 15th August
By providing successful individuals and groups with grants of up to €200, the EIL Seed Fund aims to help you to organise activities or events which will raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals and Global Justice. Your project can have a real impact on the way people in your community think about global issues and in turn, bring about real change in the world. The deadline for applications is 15th August 2020.
See https://www.eilireland.org/global-citizenship/seedfund/ for more information.
Sustainable Development Goals Raising Awareness & Resources
A brand new pool of resources relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals has been produced as part of Saolta, Ireland's new Development Education strategic partnership for the Adult & Community Education sector.
To visit Saolta's Resources page go here.
Additionally, a two-page document is now available for download here. This includes information on the SDG Information Packs, training resources, monitoring and evaluation resources, research and a series of podcasts. For further details visit the Saolta webpage here.
Rethink Ireland Equality Fund 2020-2023 Applications until 14th September 2020
Rethink Ireland are inviting applications from organisations that support marginalised women, migrant people (including people in need of international protection), people from minority ethnic communities, the Traveller and Roma communities, people with disabilities and LGBTI+ people for the Equality Fund 2020 – 2023.
This €3 million Fund is supported by the Peter Kinney and Lisa Sandquist Foundation and the Government of Ireland. The funding will support organisations and groups that empower marginalised communities and tackle systemic inequality.
The application deadline is 5 pm on Monday, September 14th, 2020.
Visit Rethink Ireland – Equality Fund for applications and more information.
Artist in the Community Scheme Applications until 28th September 2020
The Arts Council and Create are delighted to announce the second round to the Artist in the Community Scheme 2020. This scheme offers funding to enable artists and communities of place/or interest to work collaboratively.
The scheme is open to artists from any of the following artform disciplines: architecture, circus, street art and spectacle, dance, film, literature (Irish and English language), music, opera, theatre, visual arts and traditional arts. The projects can take place in a diverse range of social and community contexts such as arts and disability, arts and health, arts and older people, arts and cultural diversity and arts and communities.
Application forms and guidelines for round two of Artist in the Community Scheme are now available to download from theAIC Scheme awards page. Deadline for receipt of application is Monday 28 September 2020.
Autumn School on Cultural Diversity and Collaborative Practice Submission deadline: 31st August 2020
For a third year, Create and Counterpoints Arts are pleased to announce the School on Cultural Diversity and Collaborative Practice for up to 15 artists.
This autumn school is interdisciplinary both in curriculum and composition of participants, presenters and facilitators. It will take the form of a four-day virtual residency enabling a ‘think and do’ collaborative approach, utilizing creative workshops, critical and comparative case studies, one-to-one mentoring, international guest artists including curators, policymakers and activists.
Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing, the 2020 School will be hosted in the Autumn and virtually over four days: 9th, 16th, 17th & 23rd October. The new deadline for submissions is 31st August, 5pm.
Read more on the Create website, where you can also find video and text resources from the two previous Schools.
Sustainability Education Research Project What Exactly is Sustainability?
NUIG is leading research on teaching sustainability effectively. If you wish to take part, you can sign up for a free online lesson illustrated with two classic historical examples of unsustainability - the overshoot and collapse of the Kaibab deer population in the USA in the 1920s, and the Grand Banks cod fishery collapse in Canada in 1992. Learn what went wrong and how such systems can be turned around to a sustainable state, and at the same time help researchers find more effective approaches to teaching sustainability. The learning is done individually and entirely online in one session and should take between 50 minutes and one hour 40 minutes. Sign up here.
