Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan is among a group of public representatives that is calling for non-essential shops and services to close immediately “in order to save lives”.
A statement issued on behalf of Flanagan, Mick Wallace, Clare Daly, Thomas Pringle, Saoirse McHugh, Michael Fitzmaurice, Catherine Connolly read as follows: “Reports of sales at sports shops in the last twenty-four hours are hard to believe at a time when people should be urged to stay at home and keep their distance in order to slow down the infection rate and flatten the curve.”
“But hard and all as it is to believe, it is happening and needs to stop. At extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are key to eventually returning to the ordinary.”
“Likewise, for all infrastructure projects, new roads and buildings can wait. The spread of this virus won’t.”
The statement outlined that thousands of workers are at break times are huddled together in canteens around the country. “Social distancing is proving impossible for them.”
Essential and non-essential
At this stage, the group added, the government needs to establish what is essential to “our existence and what is not”.
For those services which are essential, staff must be fully protected with masks, gloves, sanitisers, cashless payment and the rigorous enforcement of social distancing, the public representatives stressed.
“They then need to do whatever it takes to make the closure of those non-essential services happen immediately.”
“We do not have any time to waste. People lives are depending on it. Let’s put on the fire break now while the inferno is raging. Do it now.” the statement concluded.
