A MEMORANDUM of understanding (MOU) has been signed by the Department of Healths in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chief Medical Officers – Dr Tony Holohan and Dr Michael McBride – signed the memorandum, which was approved today.
“This MOU will ensure timely and responsive communications and decisions in a fast-moving environment; that both administrations will seek to adopt similar approaches, where it is appropriate to do so on the advice of respective chief medical officers,” Minister for Health, Simon Harris, said.
“I want to thank my colleagues in Northern Ireland for their co-operation to date. This is a global pandemic. It knows no borders and we are all in this together. It is essential we continue to do everything we can across the island to fight this pandemic.”
The document pledges co-operation and collaboration against coronavirus.
The memorandum recognises that there is ‘a compelling case for strong co-operation, including information-sharing and, where appropriate, a common approach to action in both jurisdictions.’
Dr Holohan said: “We have been working closely with our Northern Irish colleagues since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. Today’s MOU will formalise the close ongoing co-operation that has been taking place.”
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