Reduce discretionary contact, but children can still play outside

The Deputy Chief Medical Officer has said that if children continue to socialise and interact as they normally would, that measures to control the spread of coronavirus will not be as effective.



However, he also said that the Department of Health recognises that children still need to have a normal life.

Speaking as it was confirmed that 20 new cases of coronavirus have been identified in Ireland, Dr Ronan Glynn said: "If children continue to mix with other children in the way that they would normally do then the measures that we've recommended and taken this week won't be as effective as we want them to be.

"But our recommendations are not absolutist. Children still need to have a normal life, and we recognise that.

"Children still will play with other children. What we're asking though is that in as much as it is possible, people, whether they're adults or children, reduce their level of social contact and reduce their discretionary social contact."

Dr Glynn added: "Children can still play outside, they can still play in small groups, but what we don't want is big groups of children getting together like they would on the summer holidays, for example. So yes, children can still play together."

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