For those who are cocooning, 5 May was the first time in six weeks they were allowed to get out and about for some fresh air, according to public health advice.
People who are cocooning are often referred to as the over 70s, but there is a large cohort of people who have to cocoon due to underlying health concerns.
Roisin Dermody is a disability rights advocate who is living in Dublin with her guide dog Clipper. She said that before cocooning guidelines were announced, she was finding social distancing a challenge.
"People were yelling at me for not staying two metres away, but I'm blind," she said.
"I can't see where you are, you need to take some responsibility, because if I'm not obeying social distancing then neither are you," she said, adding that those types of incidents were upsetting and meant she had stopped going out for walks.
When guidelines were announced for cocooners, one of her biggest worries was who would walk Clipper, as she would have to stay home as she has underlying health concerns.
"I've never felt so disabled, or alone, or helpless as I have done through this entire situation."
However, a neighbour soon stepped in and offered to walk Clipper while she was cocooning.
Ms Dermody says Clipper is "doing great and living her best life". "It's most definitely a dog's life," she said.
In the days before cocooning guidelines were eased, Ms Dermody said her "anxiety levels were through the roof" but she emerged for her first walk in weeks last Tuesday.
In the following days on her short walk around the block, an incident with another pedestrian could have put all her weeks of cocooning in jeopardy.
"Literally someone pushed right passed me," she said, saying the other pedestrian physically touched her to manoeuvre her out of the way.
"I did not spend the last six weeks cocooning so that some stranger could touch me, when all they needed to do was alert me to the fact they were there."
She decided she would stop going out for walks because she was not able to deal with people shouting at her or handling her when she is trying to protect her health.
She tweeted about her experience and received a wave of support from people online.
Dear sighted people, I can't see if you’re 2m away. My guide dog doesn’t understand "social distancing". Please respect my boundaries.
— Roisin Dermody (@roisindermody) May 10, 2020
Over 100,000 people have seen her tweet, and 7,000 liked it.
Social distancing guidelines mean people have to use their own judgement when trying to avoid other pedestrians, however hopping on and off the footpath or into the grass verge is not possible for those using mobility aids such as scooters or wheelchairs.
Suzy Byrne is a disability activist from Dublin city centre. After six weeks at home cocooning as she is immunosuppressed, she had to wait for assistance to get out for some fresh air in the Phoenix Park.
She said "people gave me distance and it was fine".
First wander out in fresh air since March 11th ✔️ #scorchio 🌞 pic.twitter.com/508qjzhdhB
— Suzy Byrne (@suzybie) May 9, 2020
"I can't go out safely at the moment on the path, because I can't come down off the path to get the two metres in the scooter."
Ms Byrne said some of measures taken in the last two months have made a lot of people with disabilities feel "extremely invisible".
"The language around cocooning is bad enough, but then it is concentrated around the over 70s and not on other people who have a need to take extra measures."
She said not everyone with a disability needs to cocoon, but many people with disabilities are suffering during these restrictions due to the loss of services, therapies and supports.
"As we start to move through the various phases and people get out, I think people need to respect that many people with disabilities have had a very difficult time."
One of those who has not been out and about in months is Karyn Moynihan. She had a kidney transplant in January, and the immunosuppressant drugs mean she is very susceptible to infection.
Her doctors had nearly given her the all-clear to get out and about again when cocooning measures were introduced.
Ms Moynihan got out for her first walk last Tuesday when public health advice said it was safe to do so.
category is: out for a walk for the first time in 38 days 🌳 pic.twitter.com/zVgFhJoOnp
— karyntine 😷🚧 (@redlemonader) May 5, 2020
"I thought I was doing fine to be honest, but it was the day it was announced that cocooners could get out for walks, I got really emotional. I kind of surprised myself so I think I actually had been taking it harder than I even realised until it got to the point where we were told we could go outside, I didn't realise quite how much I wanted to be outside."
She says most people she has met out and about have been keeping their distance, but she had been planning her small excursions early in the morning to limit her exposure.
it's becoming apparent that I will have at least one enemy per 8am walk and today it was the jogger who came up from behind and ran right past me on the footpath
— karyntine 😷🚧 (@redlemonader) May 7, 2020
"The odd time you do get someone who will come up behind you, it would nearly put your heart across you because you are so weary of keeping your distance and maintaining that two metres.
"A jogger came up behind me on the footpath and startled me as he went past. I wasn't expecting that, I thought he could move around as he was coming up behind someone like that."
"It's hard not to be a little bit stressed when stuff like that happens," she said.
The messaging around cocooning has been focused on the over 70s but anyone with any underlying health concern also has to stay inside.
"You just don't know by looking at someone if they have an underlying health condition or whether they would be more vulnerable to something like this. Try to be aware and don't let yourself get lax with it."
