1. The best policy is to treat any visitors to the farm as potentially having COVID-19, so keep your distance and wear a face mask. 2. Only allow essential visitors to the farm such as milk lorry drivers, delivery drivers and service providers such as contractors, vets and AI technicians. Avoid contact with these people and provide hand sanitiser at entrances to buildings, eg at the door to bulk tank area or calving shed. Issue instructions over the telephone prior to them coming on farm.
3. If a farmer or a member of the household has COVID-19, is self-isolating, restricting their movements or awaiting a test result you should inform your milk processor, vet and anyone else in advance of coming on to the farm so they can make special arrangements. 4. Where a vet or a mechanic is required to treat a sick animal or repair a machine, the person should be left to work on their own. In situations where they need assistance and close contact is unavoidable, both the farmer and the vet/mechanic should wear a mask and wash equipment thoroughly after use. 
5. Health and safety is paramount. Farmers should not be afraid to seek help from friends or neighbours while calving a cow or treating an animal. Follow the same protocol as in point 4. 6. Farmers can request a three-week delay to on-farm inspections by the Department of Agriculture if they are concerned about COVID-19.7. The requirement to test calves over six weeks of age for TB has been relaxed until 1 April. Calves can now be moved up to 120 days of age without a TB test. The exemption does not apply to reactor retests or where calves are to be exported. 
8. The Department of Agriculture has protocols in place to allow for the postponement of TB tests where a farmer or a member of the household is isolating, restricting their movements or awaiting a test result.9. Limit your number of visits to shops or public places where there is an increased risk of contracting the virus. This applies to all people living in the household. 10. Where the farm has employees, social distancing should be practised as much as possible and where this is not possible, masks should be worn. a. People from different households should not travel in the same vehicle – travel to outfarms in a separate vehicle.
b. Sanitise hands before and after operating machinery or equipment. The farm owner/manager needs to set a good example for other employees.
c. People from different households should take breaks and eat food in separate locations.
d. Masks should be worn when people from different households are in unavoidable close proximity, such as milking/calving a cow/repairing a machine.
e. Discuss expectations with employees in advance of the busy spring workload. Employees must be encouraged not to attend work if they are feeling sick or if they are a close contact of a positive case. The COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit of up to €350/week covers both employed and self-employed people.
11. Farmers should have contingency plans in place in the event that they, or a key worker, contracts the virus. In some cases, farmers are making agreements with friends and neighbours that they will help each other out in the event one of them gets sick.
1. The best policy is to treat any visitors to the farm as potentially having COVID-19, so keep your distance and wear a face mask. 2. Only allow essential visitors to the farm such as milk lorry drivers, delivery drivers and service providers such as contractors, vets and AI technicians. Avoid contact with these people and provide hand sanitiser at entrances to buildings, eg at the door to bulk tank area or calving shed. Issue instructions over the telephone prior to them coming on farm.
3. If a farmer or a member of the household has COVID-19, is self-isolating, restricting their movements or awaiting a test result you should inform your milk processor, vet and anyone else in advance of coming on to the farm so they can make special arrangements. 4. Where a vet or a mechanic is required to treat a sick animal or repair a machine, the person should be left to work on their own. In situations where they need assistance and close contact is unavoidable, both the farmer and the vet/mechanic should wear a mask and wash equipment thoroughly after use.
5. Health and safety is paramount. Farmers should not be afraid to seek help from friends or neighbours while calving a cow or treating an animal. Follow the same protocol as in point 4. 6. Farmers can request a three-week delay to on-farm inspections by the Department of Agriculture if they are concerned about COVID-19.7. The requirement to test calves over six weeks of age for TB has been relaxed until 1 April. Calves can now be moved up to 120 days of age without a TB test. The exemption does not apply to reactor retests or where calves are to be exported.
8. The Department of Agriculture has protocols in place to allow for the postponement of TB tests where a farmer or a member of the household is isolating, restricting their movements or awaiting a test result.9. Limit your number of visits to shops or public places where there is an increased risk of contracting the virus. This applies to all people living in the household. 10. Where the farm has employees, social distancing should be practised as much as possible and where this is not possible, masks should be worn. a. People from different households should not travel in the same vehicle – travel to outfarms in a separate vehicle.
b. Sanitise hands before and after operating machinery or equipment. The farm owner/manager needs to set a good example for other employees.
c. People from different households should take breaks and eat food in separate locations.
d. Masks should be worn when people from different households are in unavoidable close proximity, such as milking/calving a cow/repairing a machine.
e. Discuss expectations with employees in advance of the busy spring workload. Employees must be encouraged not to attend work if they are feeling sick or if they are a close contact of a positive case. The COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit of up to €350/week covers both employed and self-employed people.
11. Farmers should have contingency plans in place in the event that they, or a key worker, contracts the virus. In some cases, farmers are making agreements with friends and neighbours that they will help each other out in the event one of them gets sick.
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