FAMILIES ACROSS Ireland could soon be reunited under government plans that will see indoor visits allowed at some nursing homes.
For the first time since March, some nursing home residents will be able to see family members, face-to-face, following months of cocooning away from them.
Indoors visits are set to be allowed from June 15.
However, they will only be allowed in care home facilities where there has been no previous outbreak of Covid-19.
The indoor visits will also be restricted to just once a week at this stage for a maximum of two people.
Only one visitor will be allowed at any one time and all visits must be pre-arranged and last no more than half-an-hour.
With the number of new cases of coronavirus dropping to just 28, with a further seven deaths recorded in the past 24 hours, Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said the time is right for care home visits to begin again.
"We've had a look at that particular measure and even though it was one of the Phase Three measures we think the conditions are right for us to bring that forward and recommend it for Phase Two and the government has agreed," Dr Holohan said.
"New guidance will be made available to nursing homes on the assumption that the nursing homes will put in place the various guidances that will apply to those individual nursing homes for visitation to commence from June 15."
Ireland is already in the process of accelerating the lifting of lockdown measures, following a notable decline in cases of coronavirus across the country.
Under the sped-up measures, pubs are set to reopen ahead of schedule while travel restrictions are also set to be lifted.
