Covid-19 hygiene packs distributed to Travellers

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – More than 800 essential cleaning packs have been distributed to Traveller families across Galway during the Covid-19 crisis.

The packs – containing disinfectant, hand sanitisers and other essentials – were distributed by Galway Traveller Movement to Travellers living in halting sites and in houses in the city and county.

Overcrowding at city halting sites makes social distancing and self-isolation a challenge for residents, but Galway City Council said it has taken a number of measures to help including providing more portable toilets and extra mobile homes.

The local authority has also provided additional alternative accommodation for Travellers to re-locate during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Galway Traveller Movement (GTM) said this pandemic was a “challenging time” for the Traveller community, which is particularly vulnerable to the health impacts of the virus due to “existing health inequalities and poor health status experienced by the community”.

“Poor baseline health data and a disproportionate burden of chronic health conditions such as chronic lung conditions and asthma, chronic heart conditions and diabetes compared to the majority population make the Traveller community more vulnerable to the impact of Covid-19 if they catch it,” Bridget Kelly of GTM told Galway City Tribune.

She pointed out there are additional challenges for Travellers trying to protect against Covid-19 because many are living in substandard accommodation with inadequate services.

“Social distancing and self-isolation will be extremely difficult for Traveller families who are homeless, experiencing addiction issues, living in overcrowded conditions and sharing communal sleeping areas and living on poorly-serviced halting sites,” said Ms Kelly.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. There is extensive coverage of Covid-19 and its impact on Galway in this week’s paper. Please remember that without advertising revenue and people buying and subscribing to our newspapers, this website would not exist. You can buy a digital edition of this week’s Galway City Tribune or subscribe HERE.