COVID-19 Report, 15th July 2020

13 July 2020

Daily Update for Civil Defence website – Easter Sunday 12^th April 2020

Civil Defence (Cosaint Shibhialta) is a statutory volunteer-based organisation established in the 1950s. Nationally, Civil Defence is managed by 35 Local Authority Civil Defence Officers with a membership of approximately 3,500 volunteers. The volunteers give freely of their time and talents. The role of Civil Defence as set out in the 2015 Government White Paper on Defence is to support the Principal Response Agencies in both emergency and non-emergency events”.

COVID-19 is one such emergency.

22 Local Authority Civil Defence Units, namely Cavan, Cork City, Cork South, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo, Westmeath and Wexford have been tasked by the HSE across the country. The type of taskings undertaken include

• providing first-aid and administrative assistance to the Irish Blood Transfusion Service
• relocating residents from one Nursing Home to another location
• transporting dialysis and cancer patients from hospitals to their homes
• collection of medications and delivering to MS patients homes
• establishment of and supplying of equipment to static and drive through test centres
• transporting test samples daily to the UCD National Laboratory and to other Laboratories
• setting up of isolation centres for homeless services
• delivering medical equipment to isolated vulnerable householders
• delivering essential items to patients in hospitals
• transferring non COVID-19 patients from one hospital to another

18 Local Authority Civil Defence Units, namely Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork City, Cork North, Cork West, Donegal, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Mayo, Meath, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow have been tasked by the Local Authority and An Garda Síochána. Tasks include

• distribution of food parcels to vulnerable persons
• assisting An Garda Síochána in advising persons on social distancing
• setting up isolation centres and transporting food and laundry for homeless services
• delivering COVID-19 signage to area offices
• collection of medication from Pharmacist and delivery to isolated households
• collection of letters and parcels for posting
• sourcing and delivering emergency pension collection nomination forms
• transporting persons to collect their pensions
• trained information manager supporting inter-agency management office
• delivering homework packs for students with special requirements
• COVID-19 information leaflet drops to Garda Stations, Post Offices and Supermarkets

Overall 17 volunteers were involved in 8 tasking’s yesterday and provided 31 volunteer hours to their communities.

 

Since 17 March 2020, a daily average of 40 Civil Defence volunteers have provided a daily average of 170 volunteer hours, totalling 4,583 volunteer hours and 466 taskings in support to the Principal Response Agencies. These volunteers have been supported by 57 four-wheel drive jeeps, 2 operational support vehicles, 10 vans, 18 ambulances, 1 welfare trailer, 1 truck and 10 minibuses.

 

Civil Defence continues to meet via tele-conference with the National Ambulance Service in conjunction with the other voluntaries (Irish Red Cross, the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps and St John Ambulance Brigade). Due to the low number of hospital transfers currently taking place, the National Ambulance Service has given no definite date for taskings to commence. Civil Defence Branch will continue to keep CDOs, ACDOs and volunteers updated on this issue.

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