Dublin mayors call for greater effort from Dubliners in fighting Covid-19

The leaders of Dublin’s four local authorities have appealed to the public to “redouble their efforts” in combatting the spread of our “dangerous enemy” Covid-19 and to “take personal responsibility” for their actions in fighting the virus.

Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu was joined by the mayors of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin on Monday in signing an "open letter to the citizens of Dublin" which urges people to take all necessary measures to stop the spread of the virus.

The letter acknowledges the efforts made by people earlier this year in helping to bring down coronavirus numbers but warns that this “dangerous enemy” is again threatening to take the lives and jobs of our fellow citizens.

Frontline workers deserve more than platitudes if they are to win the fight against Covid-19, says the letter. “They need us, the citizens of Dublin, to take effective action to dramatically slow the rate at which the Covid-19 virus is spreading.

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“We already know that this disease shows no respect for your age, gender, for who you are, or where you live. We have got to view it as a dangerous enemy and work together to stop it sweeping through our communities and affecting the lives of our loved-ones, neighbours, colleagues and friends.”

The letter reminds people to continue washing their hands regularly, observe social distancing, wear face masks and reduce social contacts.

“Take personal responsibility for your actions, follow the HSE guidance at all times, and let’s continue to work together to protect ourselves, our families and our communities,” it writes.

Councillor Una Power, cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council called on Dubliners to "redouble their efforts to reduce social contacts" and to "do the easy things right". "Wear a mask, wash your hands properly, maintain social distance," said Ms Power. "The virus is spreading and we need to count on each other to do the right thing."

Ms Chu underlined the economic implications of the pandemic and noted that everyone had a family member or friend who had lost their job and was struggling to get by. “Please think about what you can do to help tackle this virus so we can get back to the Dublin we all know and love.”

Councillor David Healy, mayor of Fingal, highlighted the need to follow public guidelines to support the most vulnerable in society while councillor Ed O’Brien, mayor of South Dublin County, called on people to “give up those social interactions, visits to our favourite places and impromptu social events so that we can again flatten the curve”.

The letter was signed at the Mansion House in Dublin on Monday morning and will be disseminated to the public through local authority social media platforms and websites. The four local authorities are also running a radio and online audio campaign aimed at changing the behaviour of 15-34-year-olds in Dublin, according to Dublin City Council.