WITH THE pubs remaining closed, it can be tempting to throw big house parties-- but one Garda in Cork has illustrated why this should be avoided.
Since lockdown in Ireland began to ease, and more people have been allowed to gather indoors, there have been a spate of house parties across the country.
But despite adhering to the rules as to the number of people-- no more than 50 indoors at one time-- some of the gatherings have resulted in clusters of new coronavirus cases.
Now, thanks to the consistent rise in figures and the R rate rising to to between 1.2 and 1.8, Phase 4 has been pushed back until 10 August.
Pubs will remain closed, masks will become compulsory in public spaces and the number of people allowed at a person's home has been reduced to ten people from four different households.
A Garda Sergeant in Bandon, Co Cork, speaking to local radio station C103fm has urged people not to have house parties, as large gatherings could bring us back to Ireland's peak of the pandemic in April.
Sergeant James O'Donovan told host Patricia Messinger:
"There's house parties going on around the country and we're appealing for people to take personal responsibility.
"Whether that's the people that own the houses, parents, people that are renting their houses or the people attending the parties.
"We certainly don't want to go back to last March and April with lockdown and restrictions--please God that will never happen.
"But people have to take personal responsibility," he stated.
"All the guidelines can only be as good as the people's personal responsibility themselves."
In Kerry last week, up to 30 people travelled from Dublin and others countries to attend a party in rented accommodation-- which was within the guidelines at the time.
Later, one person tested positive and there had been 30 close contacts who then had to isolate and receive a test.
There are hopes the new, stricter measures will help combat this.
