Enacting effective preventative measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 is not “rocket science” and only requires a few simple changes to one’s routine, according to dairy farmer Jim Mulhall.
Jim, who farms just outside Kilkenny and supplies Glanbia Ireland, outlined to AgriLand the steps he has taken to ensure that he and his family steer clear of the coronavirus.
“We have just taken a common-sense approach. We’ve stopped all non-essential farm visits – it’s literally feed trucks in, milk trucks out and the vet,” he explained, adding that people have been stopped from calling for the past week.
We have hand-washing facilities available; everyone on the farm wears gloves at all times and everyone on the farm is told to keep their hands washed.
Continuing, Jim added: “You wear gloves when you’re driving machinery so that you’re not transmitting anything while you’re operating the machine.
“If Niall, the chap who works with me, is driving the loader and half an hour later I get up to drive the loader, you’re wearing gloves on your hands all the time when operating machinery. Simple things like that.”
Other measures that Jim has recently enacted include staying away from the drivers of both milk tankers and feed lorries – for protection on both sides.
“This thing is not about eliminating Covid-19; this is about flattening the curve – it’s about not overwhelming the health service – that’s really what we’re trying to do.
We’re not doing any rocket science here – just common-sense stuff. Keep your distance, use hand sanitisers, keep your hands washed.
On another aspect, the Kilkenny dairy farmer explained that the worker he employs on the farm no longer has food with Jim and his family:
“We’ve stopped that. We want to eliminate the risks to both himself and ourselves.
“He goes home for lunch and at breakfast we have a little canteen area in the farm so he has it there.
Concluding, the farmer said to do the simple things right – wear gloves, wash one’s hands regularly and keep others at a distance – to effectively limit the spread of Covid-19.