The loveliest news!
In all of the sadness and stress caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, some of the small things that were affected hit us as hard as the bigger restrictions.
For children, not being able to go creche, school or even to the playground and see their friends has been really tough. And it’s been particularly hard to explain to them why their normally doting grandparents had to suddenly keep their distance.
The photos and videos of newborns being waved at through windows are enough to break your heart, let alone trying to explain to a toddler why granddad can’t chase them round the garden any more and granny can’t cuddle them like she usually does.
So, it will come as welcome news to many families across the country that the Taoiseach has said that children will hopefully be able to hug their grandparents in the not too distant future.
Speaking at a contact tracing centre earlier today, Leo Varadkar said that everyone wanted to see grandparents reunited with their grandkids as soon as possible. While he said that the current restrictions had not changed, he said that “assuming everything went in the right direction it will be one of the actions that will be possible over the course of the summer”.
The Taoiseach was reacting to research released by the Health Information and Quality Authority this morning which suggests that children are not substantially contributing to the spread of Coronavirus either in their households or on schools.
While his message about hugs will have gladdened the hearts of families across the country, Leo Varadkar clearly stated that this will not be one of the next wave of measures due to be announced on Monday, May 18. From the roadmap already outlined by the Government, those are expected to include allowing people to meet in groups of four outside and allowing childcare in the home for frontline workers among other measures.
