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04th May 2021

Gardaí set up Covid-19 hotline in Donegal to allow people to report gatherings and parties

Clara Kelly

5k fine ireland

The hotline was established after a recent surge in cases across the county.

Gardaí in Donegal have set up a Covid-19 hotline to allow people to report illegal parties or gatherings across the county.

Anybody who hears of illegal parties or gatherings is urged to phone 074-9167101 to speak to a member of the Letterkenny Garda Station.

Speaking to Highland Radio on Tuesday, Garda Gráinne Doherty referred to birthday parties, beach parties, gatherings after funerals, and gatherings of secondary school students as areas of concern.

On Sunday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said the incidence of the virus in Donegal was close to 300 per 100,000, while the national rate was 127 per 100,000.

On Saturday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly called a meeting between NPHET and a number of Donegal politicians in an attempt to bring down the case numbers in the county.

Last week, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that even “the dogs on the street” could see there were examples of people not complying with the Covid-19 guidelines in the county.

“It’s safe to say that if we had anything like the situation that pertains in Donegal pertaining to the rest of the country, we would not be recommending these measures. We are genuinely concerned about the situation,” he said at a Department of Health press conference.

Dr Holohan added that a localised lockdown or prevention of further reopening of society in Donegal due to the high incidence rate is “obviously a potential scenario”, but that the team “do not envisage it at this time”.

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