theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Domestic violence reports up 30% in some areas since lockdown, says Garda

Much of the violence and disorder associated with excess drinking has switched to the home environment and domestic violence reports to the Garda have increased by 30 per cent in some areas .
The true spike in domestic attacks is likely much higher because many victims are now in lockdown at home in such close proximity with their abusers they have lost the opportunity to reach out for help .
Women ’ s Aid said it had also experienced an increase in calls to its services and urged people who suspected somebody was being beaten or abused in the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including contacting them or even calling the Garda .
Garda sources told The Irish Times that reports of domestic violence had increased by almost 25 per cent since the coronavirus lockdown period began last month , with higher spikes in some areas .
“ What we are seeing is that some people who would have normally gone out to drink in pubs or nightclubs have switched that to the home setting and that ’ s a major aggravating factor , ” said one senior officer .
The same source said the Garda had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries where lockdown had been introduced first and domestic violence had spiked as other crime types decreased .
The same pattern was now happening in the Republic , he said .
Another Garda source said an increase of close to 25 per cent in calls was “ very significant ” in the context of national crime data .
“ Even when the drugs trade collapsed after the Celtic Tiger , the fall [ in drug crime ] was about 35 per cent and that took years .
So an increase of 20-30 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime in a matter of weeks is huge for us.
” The same officer pointed out a feared increase in domestic violence had been prioritised in the Garda ’ s planning for coronavirus , also known as Covid-19 .
“ From the start [ Garda ] members were asked to be prudent when arresting people and not to do that if it wasn ’ t absolutely necessary , but not in relation to domestic violence .
That was to be treated in the same way ; to use arrest to take an offender @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Aid chief executive Sarah Benson told The Irish Times calls to her agency ’ s helplines had also increased during the Covid-19 lockdown period , adding there were “ huge levels of stress and violence ” at present .
She said lockdown meant many women had lost the opportunity to reach out to family and friends or to report to the Garda .
“ Some people are living in very close quarters ; very small apartments and even in bedsits .
And in those situations making a phone call without being heard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ women who would have previously called to their mother ’ s house or a friend now don ’ t have that option now because of cocooning and lockdown.
” Ms Benson said Women ’ s Aid now had a text chat feature on its website which allowed women to send a message from their mobile phone without running the risk of being heard by their abuser .
She also encouraged people to act if they suspected domestic abuse .
Rather than “ assuming the victim will be in a position to seek and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if worried about immediate safety , or reach out to the victim in a discreet way , including messaging apps .

Much of the violence and disorder associated with excess drinking has switched to the home environment and domestic violence reports to the Garda have increased by 30 per cent in some areas.
The true spike in domestic attacks is likely much higher because many victims are now in lockdown at home in such close proximity with their abusers they have lost the opportunity to reach out for help.
Women’s Aid said it had also experienced an increase in calls to its services and urged people who suspected somebody was being beaten or abused in the home to take steps to help them, including contacting them or even calling the Garda.
Garda sources told The Irish Times that reports of domestic violence had increased by almost 25 per cent since the coronavirus lockdown period began last month, with higher spikes in some areas.
READ MORE
Crime trends
“What we are seeing is that some people who would have normally gone out to drink in pubs or nightclubs have switched that to the home setting and that’s a major aggravating factor,” said one senior officer.
The same source said the Garda had examined changing crime trends in other European countries where lockdown had been introduced first and domestic violence had spiked as other crime types decreased. The same pattern was now happening in the Republic, he said.
Another Garda source said an increase of close to 25 per cent in calls was “very significant” in the context of national crime data.
“Even when the drugs trade collapsed after the Celtic Tiger, the fall [in drug crime] was about 35 per cent and that took years. So an increase of 20-30 per cent in reports of any type of crime in a matter of weeks is huge for us.”
The same officer pointed out a feared increase in domestic violence had been prioritised in the Garda’s planning for coronavirus, also known as Covid-19.
“From the start [Garda] members were asked to be prudent when arresting people and not to do that if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, but not in relation to domestic violence. That was to be treated in the same way; to use arrest to take an offender out of the home.”
Women’s Aid chief executive Sarah Benson told The Irish Times calls to her agency’s helplines had also increased during the Covid-19 lockdown period, adding there were “huge levels of stress and violence” at present.
Close quarters
She said lockdown meant many women had lost the opportunity to reach out to family and friends or to report to the Garda.
“Some people are living in very close quarters; very small apartments and even in bedsits. And in those situations making a phone call without being heard may not be possible now. Other women who would have previously called to their mother’s house or a friend now don’t have that option now because of cocooning and lockdown.”
Ms Benson said Women’s Aid now had a text chat feature on its website which allowed women to send a message from their mobile phone without running the risk of being heard by their abuser.
She also encouraged people to act if they suspected domestic abuse. Rather than “assuming the victim will be in a position to seek and get help” they should call gardaí if worried about immediate safety, or reach out to the victim in a discreet way, including messaging apps.


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Face masks and social distancing proposed for Leaving Cert exams

Authorities should consider requiring Leaving Cert students to wear face masks and to observe strict social distancing rules when exams get underway in late summer , according to a leading expert in infectious diseases .
Last Friday , 50,000 students in Hong Kong were among the first in the world to begin their final secondary-school exams .
All candidates were required to wear face masks and have their temperature checked when they arrived at exam halls .
In addition , all desks were spaced up to 1.8m apart , while exam invigilators were required to wear masks and latex gloves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ College of Surgeons in Ireland and an infectious diseases specialist , said Irish authorities should consider similar measures .
“ There ’ s lot of wisdom in what they are doing and , given that we ’ ll be holding our exams in a few months time , we can learn from what others are doing.
” He said face masks should be considered for students in line with a broader examination of using them for the wider population .
However , taking the temperature of students should not be necessary , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were often inaccurate .
Prof McConkey noted that many of our exam halls and schools buildings may not be well ventilated , which underlined the need for appropriate public health measures .
Two-metre social distancing rules should apply to students entering and leaving exam halls .
On the benefits of face masks , he said latest research indicated that there could be significant transmission of the virus for up to two days before a person developed symptoms .
“ In some hospitals we started wearing them a few weeks ago any time we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since said that all staff should wear masks when they can ’ t keep a social distance , ” he noted , highlighting regulations issued last week .
Recommending public use of masks , however , should only be done if there was an adequate supply of such barriers to keep up with demand , he said .
“ Any plans we introduce need to be feasible and realistic .
There is no point introducing measures if they can ’ t be implemented.
” Minister for Education Joe McHugh said he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts over what measures would be required for the exams to take place safely .
He said he had taken advice from experts , including Dr Michael Ryan of the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan .
Mr McHugh said that officials would postpone finalising the Leaving Cert timetable to ensure authorities had access to the latest public health information .
The Minister has announced that the exams are set to start on July 29th .
Under current Covid-19 guidelines , anyone who shares an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than two hours is defined as having had contact with the individual .
This could have implications for the duration of some exams , Mr McHugh pointed out .
Some exam papers – such as English paper two and Irish paper two – last more than three hours .
This has prompted politicians to suggest cutting the exam time and giving students fewer questions .
Another option being examined by decision-makers involves holding one major exam each day and stretching the Leaving Cert timetable into early September .
While many countries such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netherlands have cancelled their final secondary-school exams , China and Germany are among countries that are pressing ahead with theirs .
In China , the ministry of education is planning health screening for students , along with requirements to disinfect examination venues and make sure they are well ventilated .

Authorities should consider requiring Leaving Cert students to wear face masks and to observe strict social distancing rules when exams get underway in late summer, according to a leading expert in infectious diseases.
Last Friday, 50,000 students in Hong Kong were among the first in the world to begin their final secondary-school exams. All candidates were required to wear face masks and have their temperature checked when they arrived at exam halls. In addition, all desks were spaced up to 1.8m apart, while exam invigilators were required to wear masks and latex gloves.
Professor Sam McConkey of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and an infectious diseases specialist, said Irish authorities should consider similar measures.
“There’s lot of wisdom in what they are doing and, given that we’ll be holding our exams in a few months time, we can learn from what others are doing.”
READ MORE
He said face masks should be considered for students in line with a broader examination of using them for the wider population. However, taking the temperature of students should not be necessary, he said, as research indicated these tests were often inaccurate.
Prof McConkey noted that many of our exam halls and schools buildings may not be well ventilated, which underlined the need for appropriate public health measures.
Two-metre social distancing rules should apply to students entering and leaving exam halls.
On the benefits of face masks, he said latest research indicated that there could be significant transmission of the virus for up to two days before a person developed symptoms.
“In some hospitals we started wearing them a few weeks ago any time we were close to patients. The HSE has since said that all staff should wear masks when they can’t keep a social distance,” he noted, highlighting regulations issued last week.
Recommending public use of masks, however, should only be done if there was an adequate supply of such barriers to keep up with demand, he said.
“Any plans we introduce need to be feasible and realistic. There is no point introducing measures if they can’t be implemented.”
Advice
Minister for Education Joe McHugh said he had been seeking the advice of public health experts over what measures would be required for the exams to take place safely. He said he had taken advice from experts, including Dr Michael Ryan of the World Health Organisation and the Department of Health chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan.
Mr McHugh said that officials would postpone finalising the Leaving Cert timetable to ensure authorities had access to the latest public health information. The Minister has announced that the exams are set to start on July 29th.
Under current Covid-19 guidelines, anyone who shares an enclosed space with a confirmed case for more than two hours is defined as having had contact with the individual. This could have implications for the duration of some exams, Mr McHugh pointed out.
Some exam papers – such as English paper two and Irish paper two – last more than three hours. This has prompted politicians to suggest cutting the exam time and giving students fewer questions.
Another option being examined by decision-makers involves holding one major exam each day and stretching the Leaving Cert timetable into early September.
While many countries such as the UK, France and the Netherlands have cancelled their final secondary-school exams, China and Germany are among countries that are pressing ahead with theirs.
In China, the ministry of education is planning health screening for students, along with requirements to disinfect examination venues and make sure they are well ventilated.


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Inside the hospital rehabilitating coronavirus patients after ICU

A step-down facility in Dublin is helping to rehabilitate patients who have been severely impacted by coronavirus using physiotherapy , occupational therapy and psychological support .
The last thing Ann Keelan remembers before being placed into an induced coma in intensive care was a mask going over her face .
Just two days earlier she had been admitted to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin with a sharp pain in her stomach ; she had been unwell for a week and suspected it could be appendicitis .
From Donabate , north Co Dublin , the 57-year-old mother of three adult children was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back positive a day later on March 19th .
“ I was shocked .
I didn ’ t have a cough , I had a temperature but none of the other symptoms , no tightness of chest , ” she tells The Irish Times .
She has asthma but has not had a serious attack in over a decade .
Sitting in her hospital bed things began to move very quickly as her condition deteriorated .
Her doctors told her they wanted to move her into the intensive care unit and put her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in an effort to stave off the worst impacts of the virus .
“ They did tell me some people don ’ t wake up .
I said if it ’ s for the best then you have my permission to go and do it .
.
.
I ’ m a fighter , ” she says .
At the back of her mind was the fear she would become a statistic , one of the scores of Covid-19 fatalities announced each evening .
“ You try to acknowledge but ignore it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hear about is the people who have passed and the deaths each day.
” Intubated on a ventilator for a week , when she woke up she could not speak or sit up .
She had survived coronavirus , but the trauma of intensive care had taken its toll and severely weakened her muscles .
“ I couldn ’ t talk , because I had had the tube down my throat , that was frustrating .
.
.
I couldn ’ t even hold a cup , I picked up a cup and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she says .
Breathing with the help of an oxygen mask , she was moved from intensive care to a Covid-19 ward in Beaumont .
The ward was “ hectic , ” with staff “ run off their feet ” caring for large numbers of patients , their medical gowns often sticking to their bodies with the sweat , Keelan says .
Despite the intense pressure , the staff “ tried their best to brighten your day ” .
The journey to full recovery after ICU can be a long and frustrating one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead Keelan to faint .
Several times standing with the assistance of two nurses her legs gave way , but slowly she began to recover her strength .
On April 8th , Keelan was moved to Clontarf Hospital , north Dublin , which has now opened two wards to rehabilitate patients who have experienced severe cases of coronavirus .
The step-down facility has capacity for 48 Covid-19 patients , where physiotherapists and occupational therapists will work towards their rehabilitation .
Carmel Curran is a consultant geriatrician in Beaumont who also works with patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intensive care can be “ huge ” on patients and “ some need to learn to sit again , to stand again and walk ” , she says .
The patient ’ s lungs will be injured and they will quickly find themselves short of breath during simple tasks such as walking to the bathroom .
It is not uncommon for patients to experience post-traumatic stress disorder after intensive care .
One thing Curran has seen during the pandemic is a heightened psychological trauma among Covid-19 patients post-ICU .
She says that being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ full PPE ( personal protection equipment ) , masks , goggles and gowns , and the absence of family visiting adds to this trauma .
“ A lot of people leaving ICU will have the elation , but then in the weeks after the nightmares and flashbacks will start.
” So much so that Clontarf Hospital is looking to introduce psychological support for patients who show signs of post-traumatic stress .
The age of Covid-19 patients recovering in Clontarf ranges from people in their 20s to their early 80s .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re very deconditioned , your muscles are weak , ” Dr Curran explains .
Rehab work begins shortly after intensive care , with patients first working to sit up in bed , then in a chair , moving up to standing with the help of two staff , and then walking with a Zimmer frame .
Caroline Daly is the senior physiotherapist on one of the Covid-19 wards in Clontarf .
She starts her day with a socially-distanced meeting in the gym with other physio staff , before donning full PPE gear and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will stay for the day .
During her rounds she will run through a chart of physical exercises with each patient , constantly assessing their progress .
“ These patients are complex , they will potentially have ongoing pulmonary scarring on their lungs , ” she says , which means they fatigue “ very easily ” .
The aim is to build back up strength in the thighs and legs and work towards everyday mundane tasks such as putting on a pair of socks .
The sudden loss of independence can be difficult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who had completely lost their mobility while in hospital were often “ very apathetic ” at the start , Daly says .
“ Some patients can be quite good one day and then you come in and they ’ re very sick , almost to a critical level .
There have been a couple we ’ ve had to transfer back to hospital.
” She has worked in Clontarf Hospital since 2011 , previously providing lighter orthopaedic care often to elderly patients recovering from hip surgery , but work on the Covid-19 ward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently practicing how to walk up stairs again .
“ I couldn ’ t put one foot in front of the other [ when I came in ] every little bit I do is closer to home.
” She is no stranger to a difficult recovery ; in 1999 she suffered a serious spinal injury after falling down stairs and was in hospital for several months .
Back then her daughters were aged two , three and nine , and she “ had to get back up ” to care for them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ be taking care of me ” upon her expected return home in the coming days , she says .
After several weeks working on strength , movement and balance , patients are discharged .
Previously they would be referred for community healthcare support , but the current crisis means the same level of aftercare is not available , Daly says .
To bridge the gap she has been checking in on discharged patients via WhatsApp to run through exercises .
Sharon Trehy , director of nursing , says while the facility was providing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in hospital , it was also dealing with outbreaks in non-coronavirus wards .
In late March the hospital had its first cluster of Covid-19 infection and the virus was a “ nightmare ” to contain , she says .
Once there is a confirmed case in a congregated setting it is “ very hard to dampen out that fire ” and prevent it spreading .
At any time 50 of the 270 staff will be out of work with symptoms awaiting test results or self-isolating with the virus .
“ There seems to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rules are always changing , ” Trehy says .

A step-down facility in Dublin is helping to rehabilitate patients who have been severely impacted by coronavirus using physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychological support.
The last thing Ann Keelan remembers before being placed into an induced coma in intensive care was a mask going over her face. Just two days earlier she had been admitted to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin with a sharp pain in her stomach; she had been unwell for a week and suspected it could be appendicitis.
From Donabate, north Co Dublin, the 57-year-old mother of three adult children was tested for coronavirus with the results coming back positive a day later on March 19th.
“I was shocked. I didn’t have a cough, I had a temperature but none of the other symptoms, no tightness of chest,” she tells The Irish Times. She has asthma but has not had a serious attack in over a decade.
READ MORE
Sitting in her hospital bed things began to move very quickly as her condition deteriorated. Her doctors told her they wanted to move her into the intensive care unit and put her into an induced coma on a ventilator, in an effort to stave off the worst impacts of the virus.
“They did tell me some people don’t wake up. I said if it’s for the best then you have my permission to go and do it . . . I’m a fighter,” she says.
At the back of her mind was the fear she would become a statistic, one of the scores of Covid-19 fatalities announced each evening.
“You try to acknowledge but ignore it. It is scary, all you hear about is the people who have passed and the deaths each day.”
Ann Keelan, a coronavirus patient recovering in Clontarf Hospital after being in an induced coma in ICU
Intubated on a ventilator for a week, when she woke up she could not speak or sit up. She had survived coronavirus, but the trauma of intensive care had taken its toll and severely weakened her muscles.
“I couldn’t talk, because I had had the tube down my throat, that was frustrating . . . I couldn’t even hold a cup, I picked up a cup and spilled it all over me,” she says. Breathing with the help of an oxygen mask, she was moved from intensive care to a Covid-19 ward in Beaumont.
The ward was “hectic,” with staff “run off their feet” caring for large numbers of patients, their medical gowns often sticking to their bodies with the sweat, Keelan says. Despite the intense pressure, the staff “tried their best to brighten your day”.
The journey to full recovery after ICU can be a long and frustrating one. At first even sitting upright could lead Keelan to faint. Several times standing with the assistance of two nurses her legs gave way, but slowly she began to recover her strength.
Step-down
On April 8th, Keelan was moved to Clontarf Hospital, north Dublin, which has now opened two wards to rehabilitate patients who have experienced severe cases of coronavirus. The step-down facility has capacity for 48 Covid-19 patients, where physiotherapists and occupational therapists will work towards their rehabilitation.
Carmel Curran is a consultant geriatrician in Beaumont who also works with patients in Clontarf Hospital. The aftermath of intensive care can be "huge" on patients and "some need to learn to sit again, to stand again and walk", she says. The patient's lungs will be injured and they will quickly find themselves short of breath during simple tasks such as walking to the bathroom.
It is not uncommon for patients to experience post-traumatic stress disorder after intensive care. One thing Curran has seen during the pandemic is a heightened psychological trauma among Covid-19 patients post-ICU. She says that being treated in hospital by faceless staff wearing full PPE (personal protection equipment), masks, goggles and gowns, and the absence of family visiting adds to this trauma.
“A lot of people leaving ICU will have the elation, but then in the weeks after the nightmares and flashbacks will start.” So much so that Clontarf Hospital is looking to introduce psychological support for patients who show signs of post-traumatic stress.
The age of Covid-19 patients recovering in Clontarf ranges from people in their 20s to their early 80s.
“If you’ve had severe Covid-19 you’re very deconditioned, your muscles are weak,” Dr Curran explains. Rehab work begins shortly after intensive care, with patients first working to sit up in bed, then in a chair, moving up to standing with the help of two staff, and then walking with a Zimmer frame.
Caroline Daly is the senior physiotherapist on one of the Covid-19 wards in Clontarf. She starts her day with a socially-distanced meeting in the gym with other physio staff, before donning full PPE gear and heading on to the ward where she will stay for the day.
During her rounds she will run through a chart of physical exercises with each patient, constantly assessing their progress.
“These patients are complex, they will potentially have ongoing pulmonary scarring on their lungs,” she says, which means they fatigue “very easily”.
The aim is to build back up strength in the thighs and legs and work towards everyday mundane tasks such as putting on a pair of socks.
The sudden loss of independence can be difficult for younger patients, while older patients who had completely lost their mobility while in hospital were often “very apathetic” at the start, Daly says.
“Some patients can be quite good one day and then you come in and they’re very sick, almost to a critical level. There have been a couple we’ve had to transfer back to hospital.”
She has worked in Clontarf Hospital since 2011, previously providing lighter orthopaedic care often to elderly patients recovering from hip surgery, but work on the Covid-19 ward is significantly more intense.
Keelan is currently practicing how to walk up stairs again.
“I couldn’t put one foot in front of the other [when I came in] every little bit I do is closer to home.” She is no stranger to a difficult recovery; in 1999 she suffered a serious spinal injury after falling down stairs and was in hospital for several months.
Back then her daughters were aged two, three and nine, and she “had to get back up” to care for them. This time around “they’ll be taking care of me” upon her expected return home in the coming days, she says.
After several weeks working on strength, movement and balance, patients are discharged. Previously they would be referred for community healthcare support, but the current crisis means the same level of aftercare is not available, Daly says. To bridge the gap she has been checking in on discharged patients via WhatsApp to run through exercises.
Sharon Trehy, director of nursing, says while the facility was providing rehabilitation to Covid-19 patients after critical care in hospital, it was also dealing with outbreaks in non-coronavirus wards.
In late March the hospital had its first cluster of Covid-19 infection and the virus was a “nightmare” to contain, she says. Once there is a confirmed case in a congregated setting it is “very hard to dampen out that fire” and prevent it spreading. At any time 50 of the 270 staff will be out of work with symptoms awaiting test results or self-isolating with the virus.
“There seems to be no rules around this virus, the rules are always changing,” Trehy says.


theirishtimes--2020-04-27--Delays in testing raise doubts about timing of lifting lockdown

Delays in reaching the weekly target of 100,000 coronavirus tests until the third week in May raise doubts about the State ’ s capacity to lift lockdown restriction when they expire next week .
Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid said the health service would not reach the weekly target until later in May – after the latest restrictions expire on May 5th – despite its concerns about the capacity to meet the target set by by the Department of Health ’ s health emergency team 10 days ago .
The 100,000 weekly tests is a critical step to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown measures are relaxed in order to assess whether they are leading to new Covid-19 cases .
The weeks-long delay in meeting the testing target emerged as the department reported that another 26 people died from coronavirus , bringing the death toll to 1,087 in the Republic .
There were a further 701 new confirmed cases , bringing the total number of known cases to 19,262 .
Mr Reid said the HSE had been operating on a “ war zone ” footing since the crisis began but a more sustainable model was needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , mostly likely into 2021 ” .
He acknowledged that there were “ constructive tensions ” between the HSE and the department after its emergency team announce plans to ramp up testing to 100,000 suspected cases a week .
The department said that “ intense effort ” was under way to set up a rapid testing system but it sidestepped a question about whether the delay in reaching target would lead to restrictions being extended beyond May 5th .
Last night , Dr Mary Favier , president of the Irish College of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing – without a ramping up of “ critical ” contact tracing to identify others infected by a new case , there would be “ a further inevitable surge in infection rates ” that would place “ significant additional pressures ” on GPs and the wider healthcare services .
New figures released on Sunday showed the already heavy strain being felt across the health system as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 205,000 people around the globe .
There are about 4,500 HSE staff out of work , either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus or suspected symptoms or for other reasons such as difficulties in finding childcare .
The HSE ’ s chief operations officer Anne O ’ Connor said at its weekly press briefing on Sunday that the absentee rate was a “ challenge ” for the health service .
She highlighted the need for the State to support front-line healthcare workers with “ childcare solutions ” .
The Government first promised childcare solutions for these workers in mid-March .
It emerged at the briefing that only 150 private consultants have signed up to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the first Irish case on February 29th .
Efforts to help increase testing capacity are extending beyond the public sector .
One of the country ’ s largest universities , UCD , is asking the public to help the State ’ s main virus research lab ramp up testing capacity to be able to help efforts to lift lockdown measures .
The public is being asked to contribute to a €1 million fundraising campaign that would increase Covid-19 testing capacity at the State ’ s National Virus Reference Laboratory – a key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day , from 7,000 to 10,000 .
UCD Foundation , the university ’ s charitable fundraising arm , said the crowdfunding campaign would fund the purchase of personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser to keep the lab running on constantly rotating work shift so as to create capacity to add a further 21,000 tests a week , a fifth of the HSE ’ s weekly target .
The campaign aims “ to save time and fill in the gaps ” to support increased testing during the relaxation of lockdown measures , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ giving Mark McDonnell .
“ As everyone ’ s attention turns to easing restrictions safely , we want to help in as far as possible with whatever steps we can to avoid overburdening our hospitals with new cases , ” he said .

A health worker holds test kits before taking a swab to collect samples for Covid-19 coronavirus from people in Gombak on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. Photograph: Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images
Delays in reaching the weekly target of 100,000 coronavirus tests until the third week in May raise doubts about the State’s capacity to lift lockdown restriction when they expire next week.
Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid said the health service would not reach the weekly target until later in May – after the latest restrictions expire on May 5th – despite its concerns about the capacity to meet the target set by by the Department of Health's health emergency team 10 days ago.
The 100,000 weekly tests is a critical step to help public-health experts track infection rates as lockdown measures are relaxed in order to assess whether they are leading to new Covid-19 cases.
The weeks-long delay in meeting the testing target emerged as the department reported that another 26 people died from coronavirus, bringing the death toll to 1,087 in the Republic. There were a further 701 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of known cases to 19,262.
READ MORE
Mr Reid said the HSE had been operating on a “war zone” footing since the crisis began but a more sustainable model was needed to manage the virus “well into 2020, mostly likely into 2021”.
He acknowledged that there were “constructive tensions” between the HSE and the department after its emergency team announce plans to ramp up testing to 100,000 suspected cases a week.
‘Intense effort’
The department said that “intense effort” was under way to set up a rapid testing system but it sidestepped a question about whether the delay in reaching target would lead to restrictions being extended beyond May 5th.
Last night, Dr Mary Favier, president of the Irish College of General Practitioners, warned that – beyond testing – without a ramping up of "critical" contact tracing to identify others infected by a new case, there would be "a further inevitable surge in infection rates" that would place "significant additional pressures" on GPs and the wider healthcare services.
New figures released on Sunday showed the already heavy strain being felt across the health system as it tackles the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 205,000 people around the globe.
There are about 4,500 HSE staff out of work, either on sick leave in self-insolation with the virus or suspected symptoms or for other reasons such as difficulties in finding childcare.
The HSE’s chief operations officer Anne O’Connor said at its weekly press briefing on Sunday that the absentee rate was a “challenge” for the health service.
She highlighted the need for the State to support front-line healthcare workers with “childcare solutions”. The Government first promised childcare solutions for these workers in mid-March.
It emerged at the briefing that only 150 private consultants have signed up to work as public-hospital consultants since the crisis began with the first Irish case on February 29th.
Testing capacity
Efforts to help increase testing capacity are extending beyond the public sector.
One of the country’s largest universities, UCD, is asking the public to help the State’s main virus research lab ramp up testing capacity to be able to help efforts to lift lockdown measures.
The public is being asked to contribute to a €1 million fundraising campaign that would increase Covid-19 testing capacity at the State’s National Virus Reference Laboratory – a key coronavirus testing hub – by 3,000 tests a day, from 7,000 to 10,000.
UCD Foundation, the university’s charitable fundraising arm, said the crowdfunding campaign would fund the purchase of personal protective equipment and hand sanitiser to keep the lab running on constantly rotating work shift so as to create capacity to add a further 21,000 tests a week, a fifth of the HSE’s weekly target.
The campaign aims “to save time and fill in the gaps” to support increased testing during the relaxation of lockdown measures, said UCD Foundation’s head of annual giving Mark McDonnell.
“As everyone’s attention turns to easing restrictions safely, we want to help in as far as possible with whatever steps we can to avoid overburdening our hospitals with new cases,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--How coronavirus is changing our fundamental relationship with food

“ We are in the middle of one of the biggest social experiments in our history and it will be fascinating to see how we change as a result of it , ” says Rory McDonnell , Bord Bia ’ s head of strategic planning , as he pores over mountains of real-time data looking at how consumers have responded to the coronavirus crisis .
He is not wrong .
As social experiments , they don ’ t get much bigger than this .
In a matter of weeks we have become a slowed-down and fearful nation of bakers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to share our personal data far and wide as long as it gives us an edge in an epic battle against an invisible enemy .
Rather than tracking consumer sentiment , which looks at how people think and how they think they might act in a given set of circumstances , McDonnell and his research team at Bord Bia have been looking at what consumers have been actually doing and what they have been buying .
The research is ongoing but they have already identified some key trends , the first of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In recent years health and wellness have been integral to modern life , but our health focus has intensified in recent weeks as we focused less on proactive health management , which has us eating and drinking foods we think might make us fitter and stronger , and focused more on protective health management , which sees us seeking foods to keep us well in the here and now .
The chocolate-soaked protein bars which might possibly have made us lean ahead of the summer are out and have been replaced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While the current crisis may abate , McDonnell points out that a cure for coronavirus will remain elusive , and there is no certainty as to how immunity might work .
There is no vaccine and a huge awareness that if this terrible thing can happen today , it can happen tomorrow too .
That bleak picture will “ create great desire for shielding and self-protection ” , he says , and foods which can protect our defence systems are growing in popularity .
The report says that as we move into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well pay more attention to the science of food functionality [ and ] may want nutrition that helps boost their immunity.
” Certainly if search engines are anything to go by , that is what we have been looking for over the past several weeks , with Google searches for “ food ” and “ immune system ” spiking since mid-March .
Immune-building vitamins and minerals including zinc , elderberry and vitamins C and D and are just some of the substances Irish people have researched to establish their immune-enhancing potential .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush out and starting making claims about their products ’ benefits for the immune system , they will need to “ be mindful ” that in a world of fake news , their “ message needs to be actually true ” .
Always good advice to be honest .
“ Consumers looking for ways to boost their immunity might explain why sales of orange juice went through the roof initially , although that has died down as people have come to accept that orange juice won ’ t protect them from Covid-19 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening was people were trying to give themselves an edge over the virus and while there has been a fall-off in juice and vitamin C sales , immunity and products which promise to boost it will be on people ’ s radars for a while yet.
” Another trend Bord Bia has spotted is comfort cooking .
As the lockdown was imposed , people moved away from fast foods and ready meals towards slower cooking and making childhood recipes and takeout-style dishes to bring familiarity to an unfamiliar world .
Sales of “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noodles climbed significantly over recent weeks .
“ We have seen people go back to what they grew up on , things like roast dinners , and the number of searches on the Bord Bia site for comfort food recipes have more than doubled over the last month , ” McDonnell says .
His research , meanwhile , points out that “ time-poor consumers have almost overnight moved from the world of compromised convenience foods to a world of home cooking and even slow cooking ” , adding that “ being stuck at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focal point of our day ” .
Research agency Behaviour & Attitudes has also been monitoring consumer sentiment in recent days and has found that 46 per cent of Irish people have been cooking more meals , while a similar number are now eating main meals in the company of others .
“ As everyone has descended on the home and as we hunker down , pleasing people through food is a priority , ” the Bord Bia research says .
But whether we maintain our new cooking habits when the crisis lifts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 66 days to change a habit , and – hopefully – we won ’ t have to spend that long at home .
“ We may move on from comfort cooking [ but ] it ’ s likely some family favourites will remain so , ” the report says .
“ We are in the midst of a revolution in cooking upskilling , with consumers adding new dishes to their at-home repertoire on a daily basis.
” Another trend identified has been safety .
The desire to stay safe while confronting an invisible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of the crisis , but we are also seeing “ more subtle manifestations of this , with consumers seeking reassurances regarding food safety ” .
Sometimes that has led consumers to make sometimes irrational choices on the basis of what they think will keep the virus from their door .
For instance , Google Trends data shows that our interest in cuisines from China and Italy nosedived in February and March while in the US almost 40 per cent of beer drinkers say they will not drink Corona beer under any circumstances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anecdotal evidence would suggest many Irish people have been buying it for the craic .
This new desire to stay safe has seen us asking questions that even six weeks ago would have been ludicrous .
Do we wash our fruit and vegetables in soap and water ?
Do we sanitise our beans ?
Do we need to leave our shopping in quarantine for days before decanting it ?
These questions “ only serve to highlight the sensitivity of consumers ” right now , McDonnell says .
At the outset of the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economic & Social Research Institute ( ESRI ) identified seven issues worth considering in “ fighting the coronavirus ” .
Number seven on that list was risk perceptions .
Overstating or understating a risk can see people making choices that have a negative outcome .
That ’ s because perceptions of risk drives behaviour , and people judge the likelihood of an outcome partly by how easily it springs to mind .
Today , in the midst of the pandemic , shoppers ’ “ risk assessments ” are heightened , but is there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a baguette or loaf of bread on display in a store ?
Probably not , but the “ closest available evidence would suggest it ’ s better to be safe than sorry .
Shoppers have been told to mitigate risk by washing their hands .
They ’ ve been told not to wear face masks , then possibly that they should wear face masks .
Food , on display out in the open , always something that needed careful handling , now needs even more careful handling.
” Another trend noted by Bord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , creating an explosion of data which will lead to the refinement of AI online shopping assistants and auto-complete shopping lists , McDonnell says .
“ Current observations would suggest that online grocery – even for global specialists such as Amazon and Ocado – is already very congested , ” the report notes .
“ Many consumers are experiencing long lead times for home delivery .
Equally , however , it would appear that many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time .
As retailers scale up capability online , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ordering groceries kicks in as a behavioural norm.
” And what does that mean ?
“ We know the grocery shoppers of the future will be ‘ digital natives ’ , those who have always had access to computers and the internet , and therefore rapid change is the norm for them , ” the report says .
Smart consumers will use AI to optimise everything including what they eat .
“ These consumers are likely to allow AI bots and smart home services to perform consistent purchases , and people will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Running low on milk ?
Your smart fridge will order it for you .
Eating too much saturated fat ?
Your health app on your phone will block you from over-ordering on your Amazon or Tesco app.
” The big trend noted by Bord Bia has been the stocking up .
Its research suggests we are not doing this in the simplistic “ panic-buying ” sense – there is more nuance to the picture .
For example , at the beginning of the crisis consumers initially bought “ shelf-stable ” long-life foods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but they then quickly moved to the purchasing of frozen foods .
“ One could be forgiven for assuming shopping has moved into panic-buying with shopper missions driven by a need to stay ‘ stocked up ’ at home .
But the truth behind changing consumer behaviour is a little more complex – moving from panic to preparedness .
We call this evolved grocery shopper behaviour stocking-in , ” the report says .
Far from becoming a burden or compromise for consumers , there is some evidence that people are looking on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Brooklyn chef Chitra Agrawal has talked about always having a pantry that ’ s filled with dried beans and lentils for making dal .
In Australia the chef Jane de Graaff was set the challenge of cooking four meals with no fresh ingredients on Australia ’ s Today Show .
And in the UK , Jamie Oliver has launched a new show , Keep Cooking and Carry On .
The idea behind this show is to encourage us to embrace a new world of cooking where cupboard staples can be turned into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeal of these initiatives could be explained by “ decision fatigue ” .
Pre-pandemic shoppers enjoyed a world of “ over-choice ” and there is a significant body of evidence to suggest that over-choice is associated with unhappiness .
Today we are seeing shoppers actually enjoy cooking with scare resources , McDonnell suggests .
“ The reality is stockpiling behaviour is a complex phenomenon based around shopper reactions to scarcity , choice , control deprivation and decision fatigue .
These behaviours could unlock ‘ nudges ’ around changing shopper missions that retailers and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be watching how shopper behaviour evolves in the coming months to truly understand if some of these stocking-in behaviours actually are here for good .
”

“We are in the middle of one of the biggest social experiments in our history and it will be fascinating to see how we change as a result of it,” says Rory McDonnell, Bord Bia’s head of strategic planning, as he pores over mountains of real-time data looking at how consumers have responded to the coronavirus crisis.
He is not wrong. As social experiments, they don’t get much bigger than this. In a matter of weeks we have become a slowed-down and fearful nation of bakers and epidemiologists, stuck in our homes and willing to share our personal data far and wide as long as it gives us an edge in an epic battle against an invisible enemy.
Rather than tracking consumer sentiment, which looks at how people think and how they think they might act in a given set of circumstances, McDonnell and his research team at Bord Bia have been looking at what consumers have been actually doing and what they have been buying.
The research is ongoing but they have already identified some key trends, the first of which they have labelled “shielding”.
READ MORE
In recent years health and wellness have been integral to modern life, but our health focus has intensified in recent weeks as we focused less on proactive health management, which has us eating and drinking foods we think might make us fitter and stronger, and focused more on protective health management, which sees us seeking foods to keep us well in the here and now.
Immune-building vitamins and minerals including zinc, elderberry and vitamins C and D and are just some of the substances Irish people have researched. Photograph: iStock
Google searches for 'food' and 'immune system' have spiked since mid-March
The chocolate-soaked protein bars which might possibly have made us lean ahead of the summer are out and have been replaced by immunity-boosting shots of green vegetables and fruit.
While the current crisis may abate, McDonnell points out that a cure for coronavirus will remain elusive, and there is no certainty as to how immunity might work. There is no vaccine and a huge awareness that if this terrible thing can happen today, it can happen tomorrow too. That bleak picture will “create great desire for shielding and self-protection”, he says, and foods which can protect our defence systems are growing in popularity.
The report says that as we move into the post-Covid world, “consumers may well pay more attention to the science of food functionality [and] may want nutrition that helps boost their immunity.”
Certainly if search engines are anything to go by, that is what we have been looking for over the past several weeks, with Google searches for “food” and “immune system” spiking since mid-March.
Immune-enhancing
Immune-building vitamins and minerals including zinc, elderberry and vitamins C and D and are just some of the substances Irish people have researched to establish their immune-enhancing potential.
But, the research warns, before brands rush out and starting making claims about their products’ benefits for the immune system, they will need to “be mindful” that in a world of fake news, their “message needs to be actually true”.
Always good advice to be honest.
“Consumers looking for ways to boost their immunity might explain why sales of orange juice went through the roof initially, although that has died down as people have come to accept that orange juice won’t protect them from Covid-19,” McDonnell says.
“What was happening was people were trying to give themselves an edge over the virus and while there has been a fall-off in juice and vitamin C sales, immunity and products which promise to boost it will be on people’s radars for a while yet.”
Another trend Bord Bia has spotted is comfort cooking. As the lockdown was imposed, people moved away from fast foods and ready meals towards slower cooking and making childhood recipes and takeout-style dishes to bring familiarity to an unfamiliar world. Sales of “comfort carbs” such as pasta and noodles climbed significantly over recent weeks.
“We have seen people go back to what they grew up on, things like roast dinners, and the number of searches on the Bord Bia site for comfort food recipes have more than doubled over the last month,” McDonnell says.
His research, meanwhile, points out that “time-poor consumers have almost overnight moved from the world of compromised convenience foods to a world of home cooking and even slow cooking”, adding that “being stuck at home means the kitchen is becoming a focal point of our day”.
Research agency Behaviour & Attitudes has also been monitoring consumer sentiment in recent days and has found that 46 per cent of Irish people have been cooking more meals, while a similar number are now eating main meals in the company of others.
Sales of ‘comfort carbs’ such as pasta and noodles have climbed significantly over recent weeks. Photograph: Getty Images
We are in the midst of a revolution in cooking upskilling
“As everyone has descended on the home and as we hunker down, pleasing people through food is a priority,” the Bord Bia research says.
But whether we maintain our new cooking habits when the crisis lifts is another question. It takes roughly 66 days to change a habit, and – hopefully – we won’t have to spend that long at home.
“We may move on from comfort cooking [but] it’s likely some family favourites will remain so,” the report says. “We are in the midst of a revolution in cooking upskilling, with consumers adding new dishes to their at-home repertoire on a daily basis.”
Stockpiling
Another trend identified has been safety. The desire to stay safe while confronting an invisible enemy saw grocery stockpiling in the early days of the crisis, but we are also seeing “more subtle manifestations of this, with consumers seeking reassurances regarding food safety”.
Sometimes that has led consumers to make sometimes irrational choices on the basis of what they think will keep the virus from their door. For instance, Google Trends data shows that our interest in cuisines from China and Italy nosedived in February and March while in the US almost 40 per cent of beer drinkers say they will not drink Corona beer under any circumstances at the moment.
By contrast, anecdotal evidence would suggest many Irish people have been buying it for the craic.
This new desire to stay safe has seen us asking questions that even six weeks ago would have been ludicrous. Do we wash our fruit and vegetables in soap and water? Do we sanitise our beans? Do we need to leave our shopping in quarantine for days before decanting it? These questions “only serve to highlight the sensitivity of consumers” right now, McDonnell says.
At the outset of the crisis, the Behavioural Research Unit at the Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) identified seven issues worth considering in “fighting the coronavirus”. Number seven on that list was risk perceptions.
Overstating or understating a risk can see people making choices that have a negative outcome. That’s because perceptions of risk drives behaviour, and people judge the likelihood of an outcome partly by how easily it springs to mind.
Today, in the midst of the pandemic, shoppers’ “risk assessments” are heightened, but is there actual evidence that Covid-19 will survive on a baguette or loaf of bread on display in a store? Probably not, but the “closest available evidence would suggest it’s better to be safe than sorry. Shoppers have been told to mitigate risk by washing their hands. They’ve been told not to wear face masks, then possibly that they should wear face masks. Food, on display out in the open, always something that needed careful handling, now needs even more careful handling.”
Another trend noted by Bord Bia has seen food shoppers moving online, creating an explosion of data which will lead to the refinement of AI online shopping assistants and auto-complete shopping lists, McDonnell says.
A trend noted by Bord Bia has seen food shoppers moving online, creating an explosion of data which will lead to the refinement of AI online shopping assistants. Photograph: iStock
It would appear that many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time
“Current observations would suggest that online grocery – even for global specialists such as Amazon and Ocado – is already very congested,” the report notes. “Many consumers are experiencing long lead times for home delivery. Equally, however, it would appear that many shoppers are trying online shopping for the first time. As retailers scale up capability online, we may well find the ‘automation’ of ordering groceries kicks in as a behavioural norm.”
And what does that mean?
Digital natives
“We know the grocery shoppers of the future will be ‘digital natives’, those who have always had access to computers and the internet, and therefore rapid change is the norm for them,” the report says.
Smart consumers will use AI to optimise everything including what they eat. “These consumers are likely to allow AI bots and smart home services to perform consistent purchases, and people will trust them to make the right decisions. Running low on milk? Your smart fridge will order it for you. Eating too much saturated fat? Your health app on your phone will block you from over-ordering on your Amazon or Tesco app.”
Oh joy.
The big trend noted by Bord Bia has been the stocking up. Its research suggests we are not doing this in the simplistic “panic-buying” sense – there is more nuance to the picture. For example, at the beginning of the crisis consumers initially bought “shelf-stable” long-life foods to create “pandemic pantries”, but they then quickly moved to the purchasing of frozen foods.
“One could be forgiven for assuming shopping has moved into panic-buying with shopper missions driven by a need to stay ‘stocked up’ at home. But the truth behind changing consumer behaviour is a little more complex – moving from panic to preparedness. We call this evolved grocery shopper behaviour stocking-in,” the report says.
Far from becoming a burden or compromise for consumers, there is some evidence that people are looking on the positives of living from the pandemic pantry.
Brooklyn chef Chitra Agrawal has talked about always having a pantry that’s filled with dried beans and lentils for making dal. In Australia the chef Jane de Graaff was set the challenge of cooking four meals with no fresh ingredients on Australia’s Today Show. And in the UK, Jamie Oliver has launched a new show, Keep Cooking and Carry On. The idea behind this show is to encourage us to embrace a new world of cooking where cupboard staples can be turned into interesting and exciting new recipes.
The appeal of these initiatives could be explained by “decision fatigue”. Pre-pandemic shoppers enjoyed a world of “over-choice” and there is a significant body of evidence to suggest that over-choice is associated with unhappiness. Today we are seeing shoppers actually enjoy cooking with scare resources, McDonnell suggests.
“The reality is stockpiling behaviour is a complex phenomenon based around shopper reactions to scarcity, choice, control deprivation and decision fatigue. These behaviours could unlock ‘nudges’ around changing shopper missions that retailers and producers can tap into. We will be watching how shopper behaviour evolves in the coming months to truly understand if some of these stocking-in behaviours actually are here for good.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Avoca: it’s all about the food now

Avoca: it’s all about the food now

When Tara O ’ Neill became Avoca ’ s managing director nearly three years ago she probably never imagined that a day would come when the most tactile and well-heeled of Irish shops would launch a phone ordering service – and she would be delivering the goods .
“ It was all hands to the pumps and I was glad to do it , ” she says of her brief stint as a food delivery driver in the days after her multimillion euro retail chain was forced to reinvent itself as the coronavirus crisis engulfed the country .
While Bord @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Irish consumers are changing , Avoca – like many other businesses – has been living it .
Of the 13 stores in its network , only five are still open and on a limited basis .
There are no fancy rugs or socks being sold now – it is all about the food .
“ There are queues , but not all the time , and we have hand sanitiser at the door and around the shop and staff wiping down products constantly and screens to keep them safe .
But shopping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for many which is why we opened up more channels with phone orders for collection and delivery , ” she says .
Avoca has seen a dramatic surge in sales of baking products although it sold a lot of that already “ More of our customers have been baking from scratch and yeast sales are through the roof , ” O ’ Neill says .
“ But we have been focused for so long on Irish products – that is what we have built our offering on .
And we get our stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so our supply chains have not been badly impacted.
” Avoca was sold to Aramark for more than €60 million over three years ago after which O ’ Neill took the helm in a business with more than 1,000 staff and sales of over €60 million .
A key job was to help evolve the retailer ’ s strategy .
She could never have imagined that the evolution would happen so quickly .
“ The key area of the business that we have had to dial up in recent weeks has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A few weeks ago we did not offer such a service at all and last week we handled over 1,000 home deliveries .
I can ’ t see that going away – the customer appetite for it has been ferocious.
” But how can a retailer that prides itself on being a destination , a place where people go as a treat rather than a chore , hope to replicate the experience when shoppers are ordering online or over the phone ?
O ’ Neill is still wrestling with that question .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the business online does it become too sterile ?
It is not an easy decision to make.
” Avoca has been experimenting with enhanced social engagement , she says .
“ We want to keep as many people employed as we can so some of our chefs are doing nightly recipes on Instagram and they have become quite competitive with each other as to who gets the most ‘ likes ’ .
” Before the crisis Avoca was adding about 100 Instagram followers a week ; that has now jumped to 100 a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Neill worked with the Jamie Oliver brand in the UK .
The experience taught her that personality can certainly be got across on social channel .
Like many companies Avoca has been exploring ways to help in the broader fight against Covid-19 .
It is supplying all of the food to the 40 nationwide community assessment hubs through the Feed the Heroes campaign and has been working closely with Denis O ’ Reilly of Good Grub to support the delivery of food to Deis schools .
As to when things will return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not convinced it ever will .
“ What I am trying to do now is see what the new normal will look like .
Will it all be table service or will there still be self service ?
Will people want to queue alongside other people and hold a tray that was held by other people or will they find table service more palatable ?
I don ’ t know .
But I know the business is not going to look like it did before .
”

‘More of our customers have been baking from scratch and yeast sales are through the roof,’ says Avoca MD Tara O’Neill of the company’s dramatic surge in sales of baking products. Photograph: Alan Betson
When Tara O’Neill became Avoca’s managing director nearly three years ago she probably never imagined that a day would come when the most tactile and well-heeled of Irish shops would launch a phone ordering service – and she would be delivering the goods.
“It was all hands to the pumps and I was glad to do it,” she says of her brief stint as a food delivery driver in the days after her multimillion euro retail chain was forced to reinvent itself as the coronavirus crisis engulfed the country.
While Bord Bia has been studying trends to see how Irish consumers are changing, Avoca – like many other businesses – has been living it.
Of the 13 stores in its network, only five are still open and on a limited basis. There are no fancy rugs or socks being sold now – it is all about the food.
READ MORE
“There are queues, but not all the time, and we have hand sanitiser at the door and around the shop and staff wiping down products constantly and screens to keep them safe. But shopping now can still be a stressful experience for many which is why we opened up more channels with phone orders for collection and delivery,” she says.
Irish products
Avoca has seen a dramatic surge in sales of baking products although it sold a lot of that already “More of our customers have been baking from scratch and yeast sales are through the roof,” O’Neill says. “But we have been focused for so long on Irish products – that is what we have built our offering on. And we get our stock from artisanal producers rather than big distributors, so our supply chains have not been badly impacted.”
Avoca was sold to Aramark for more than €60 million over three years ago after which O'Neill took the helm in a business with more than 1,000 staff and sales of over €60 million. A key job was to help evolve the retailer's strategy. She could never have imagined that the evolution would happen so quickly.
“The key area of the business that we have had to dial up in recent weeks has been delivery,” she says. “A few weeks ago we did not offer such a service at all and last week we handled over 1,000 home deliveries. I can’t see that going away – the customer appetite for it has been ferocious.”
Ordering online
But how can a retailer that prides itself on being a destination, a place where people go as a treat rather than a chore, hope to replicate the experience when shoppers are ordering online or over the phone?
O’Neill is still wrestling with that question. “If we move a significant portion of the business online does it become too sterile? It is not an easy decision to make.”
Avoca has been experimenting with enhanced social engagement, she says. “We want to keep as many people employed as we can so some of our chefs are doing nightly recipes on Instagram and they have become quite competitive with each other as to who gets the most ‘likes’.”
Before the crisis Avoca was adding about 100 Instagram followers a week; that has now jumped to 100 a day.
Before joining Avoca, O'Neill worked with the Jamie Oliver brand in the UK. The experience taught her that personality can certainly be got across on social channel.
Broader fight
Like many companies Avoca has been exploring ways to help in the broader fight against Covid-19. It is supplying all of the food to the 40 nationwide community assessment hubs through the Feed the Heroes campaign and has been working closely with Denis O’Reilly of Good Grub to support the delivery of food to Deis schools.
As to when things will return to normal, O’Neill is not convinced it ever will. “What I am trying to do now is see what the new normal will look like. Will it all be table service or will there still be self service? Will people want to queue alongside other people and hold a tray that was held by other people or will they find table service more palatable? I don’t know. But I know the business is not going to look like it did before.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Trump doctor downplays president’s coronavirus treatment suggestions

US president Donald Trump ’ s coronavirus response co-ordinator , Dr Deborah Birx , has cautioned that social distancing measures are likely to stay in place throughout the summer , as she sought to downplay the president ’ s dangerous suggestion that injected disinfectant and ultraviolet light could play a role in the medical treatment of Covid-19 .
Dr Birx made a number of appearances on the Sunday morning TV news shows , where she was asked about Mr Trump ’ s comments made at a White House briefing on Thursday , which prompted immediate backlash from medical experts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome of such a process .
Mr Trump has claimed the comments were sarcastic .
Appearing on CNN ’ s State of the Union , Dr Birx was asked if she was bothered by the fallout from the president ’ s remarks .
“ It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle , because I think we ’ re missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people to continue to protect one another , ” Dr Birx said .
“ As a scientist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researcher , sometimes I worry that we don ’ t get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night.
” In a later appearance on NBC News , Birx also responded to a suggestion from the vice-president , Mike Pence , in which he claimed that the US would “ largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us ” by Memorial Day , on May 25th .
Dr Birx said that while downward trends in infections and deaths in certain locations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us great hope ” , she said “ social distancing will be with us through the summer ” .
She added that the US required a “ breakthrough innovation in testing ” to speed up the reopening , by testing for those who have already had coronavirus but displayed little to no symptoms , in order to track the virus ’ s spread .
The comments came as New York governor Andrew Cuomo said some less affected regions of the state could partially re-open when his statewide shelter in place order expires on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst hit state in America , reported a drop in the number of deaths again on Sunday .
Meanwhile , Georgia ’ s governor , the Republican Brian Kemp , has partially lifted social distancing guidelines , meaning restaurants will be allowed to reopen to the public on Monday with other businesses , including gyms and salons already allowed to re-open .
The order has been criticised by Democrats and Republicans because of the state ’ s increasing infection rate and lack of testing .
Dr Birx ’ s cautious wording underlined the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the administration throughout the pandemic , who have attempted to balance sound scientific advice without directly contradicting haphazard and sometimes dangerous political rhetoric from political figures , including the president .
Mr Trump ’ s promotion of injected disinfectant was only the latest example of reckless promotion of unfounded or potentially harmful medical advice during the pandemic .
The president had previously touted an unproven antimalarial drug , hydroxychloroquine , which the FDA has now ruled can not be used outside of clinical trials or a hospital settings because of its potential cardiac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told CNN she had “ made it clear ” to Mr Trump that injected disinfectant “ was not a treatment ” , but added the president ’ s advocacy on the issue should be viewed as a “ kind of dialogue will happen ” between scientists and politicians .
Although Mr Trump has not specified where the idea of using injected disinfectant as a possible remedy for Covid-19 came from , the Guardian revealed on Friday that a prominent group peddling the use of bleach as a “ miracle cure ” had written @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Trump had also pushed the potential use of ultraviolet light on the body as a treatment for coronavirus , pushing research by the Department of Homeland Security exploring how heat and sunlight affect the virus on surfaces .
Experts have also long cautioned against the dangerous , potentially lethal side effects of UV light on the human body .
– Guardian

US president Donald Trump’s coronavirus response co-ordinator, Dr Deborah Birx, has cautioned that social distancing measures are likely to stay in place throughout the summer, as she sought to downplay the president’s dangerous suggestion that injected disinfectant and ultraviolet light could play a role in the medical treatment of Covid-19.
Dr Birx made a number of appearances on the Sunday morning TV news shows, where she was asked about Mr Trump’s comments made at a White House briefing on Thursday, which prompted immediate backlash from medical experts and industrial manufacturers who cited the potentially fatal outcome of such a process. Mr Trump has claimed the comments were sarcastic.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Dr Birx was asked if she was bothered by the fallout from the president’s remarks.
“It bothers me that this is still in the news cycle, because I think we’re missing the bigger pieces of what we need to be doing as an American people to continue to protect one another,” Dr Birx said.
READ MORE
“As a scientist and a public health official and a researcher, sometimes I worry that we don’t get the information to the American people that they need when we continue to bring up something that was from Thursday night.”
In a later appearance on NBC News, Birx also responded to a suggestion from the vice-president, Mike Pence, in which he claimed that the US would “largely have this coronavirus epidemic behind us” by Memorial Day, on May 25th.
Dr Birx said that while downward trends in infections and deaths in certain locations such as Houston and Detroit “gives us great hope”, she said “social distancing will be with us through the summer”.
She added that the US required a “breakthrough innovation in testing” to speed up the reopening, by testing for those who have already had coronavirus but displayed little to no symptoms, in order to track the virus’s spread.
Partial reopenings
The comments came as New York governor Andrew Cuomo said some less affected regions of the state could partially re-open when his statewide shelter in place order expires on May 15th. New York, the worst hit state in America, reported a drop in the number of deaths again on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s governor, the Republican Brian Kemp, has partially lifted social distancing guidelines, meaning restaurants will be allowed to reopen to the public on Monday with other businesses, including gyms and salons already allowed to re-open. The order has been criticised by Democrats and Republicans because of the state’s increasing infection rate and lack of testing.
Dr Birx’s cautious wording underlined the difficulties faced by health experts working for the administration throughout the pandemic, who have attempted to balance sound scientific advice without directly contradicting haphazard and sometimes dangerous political rhetoric from political figures, including the president.
‘Not a treatment’
Mr Trump’s promotion of injected disinfectant was only the latest example of reckless promotion of unfounded or potentially harmful medical advice during the pandemic. The president had previously touted an unproven antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, which the FDA has now ruled cannot be used outside of clinical trials or a hospital settings because of its potential cardiac risks.
On Sunday, Dr Birx told CNN she had “made it clear” to Mr Trump that injected disinfectant “was not a treatment”, but added the president’s advocacy on the issue should be viewed as a “kind of dialogue will happen” between scientists and politicians.
Although Mr Trump has not specified where the idea of using injected disinfectant as a possible remedy for Covid-19 came from, the Guardian revealed on Friday that a prominent group peddling the use of bleach as a “miracle cure” had written to the president earlier in the week.
Mr Trump had also pushed the potential use of ultraviolet light on the body as a treatment for coronavirus, pushing research by the Department of Homeland Security exploring how heat and sunlight affect the virus on surfaces.
Experts have also long cautioned against the dangerous, potentially lethal side effects of UV light on the human body. – Guardian


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Three men arrested after M1 chase involving 20 Garda cars

Gardaí have arrested three men after a pursuit involving more than 20 Garda vehicles and the Garda helicopter up the M1 motorway northbound on Sunday evening .
Three men were travelling in a white Audi car which failed to stop at a Garda checkpoint in Dublin .
A pursuit began and when the men in the Audi failed to stop the incident continued up the M1 as more Garda vehicles joined .
The Garda helicopter was also called in and tracked the Audi up the motorway from Dublin towards the Border with the North .
While the incident continued north @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was brought to a halt about 5km from the Border .
Three men were taken from the car and arrested on the side of the road and their vehicle taken away for examination .
In reply to queries , Garda Headquarters said gardaí in Swords , north Co Dublin , were carrying out a Covid19 checkpoint at about 4.35pm when a car carrying a number of men failed to stop .
“ A managed containment operation ensued which ended when the offending vehicle was stopped on the northbound lanes of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time later , ” it added .
“ During the course of the containment operation an official Garda car was damaged but no persons were injured .
The occupants of the car , three men , all in their 30s have been arrested and are currently detained at Dundalk Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act .
Investigations are ongoing .
”

Gardaí have arrested three men after a pursuit involving more than 20 Garda vehicles and the Garda helicopter up the M1 motorway northbound on Sunday evening.
Three men were travelling in a white Audi car which failed to stop at a Garda checkpoint in Dublin. A pursuit began and when the men in the Audi failed to stop the incident continued up the M1 as more Garda vehicles joined. The Garda helicopter was also called in and tracked the Audi up the motorway from Dublin towards the Border with the North.
While the incident continued north of Dundalk and on to the N1, it was brought to a halt about 5km from the Border. Three men were taken from the car and arrested on the side of the road and their vehicle taken away for examination. In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters said gardaí in Swords, north Co Dublin, were carrying out a Covid19 checkpoint at about 4.35pm when a car carrying a number of men failed to stop.
NEWS: The vehicle they were travelling in failed to stop at a Covid-19 checkpoint in Dublin. Full story: https://t.co/M4YLWyudTL
Video Credit: Jimmy Farrell pic.twitter.com/gMTGfBZuel — LMFM RADIO (@LMFMRADIO) April 26, 2020
Damaged squad car
“A managed containment operation ensued which ended when the offending vehicle was stopped on the northbound lanes of the R132 northbound north of Dundalk a short time later,” it added.
READ MORE
“During the course of the containment operation an official Garda car was damaged but no persons were injured. The occupants of the car, three men, all in their 30s have been arrested and are currently detained at Dundalk Garda station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. Investigations are ongoing.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--French trawler detained for alleged breach of fishing regulations off Irish coast

The Irish Naval Service has detained a French-registered vessel off the southwest coast on Sunday for an alleged breach of fishing regulations .
The LE George Bernard Shaw detained the Miss Jacqueline II 180 miles west of the Mizen Head in Co Cork early on Sunday morning for alleged logbook offences .
The trawler is being escorted by the LE George Bernard Shaw to Castletownbere in West Cork where she is expected to arrive at midday on Monday .
It ’ s expected that the Irish authorities will make an application for a 48 hour detention order at a special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Tuesday .
The 32-metre long Miss Jacqueline is Spanish owned and fishes out of La Coruna in Northern Spain even though she is registered in Bayonne in France .
The vessel was built in St Malo in Brittany in 1962 but was bought by Spanish owners in 1997 , who converted her for use as a long liner to fish for hake .
According to the Defence Forces Press Office , today ’ s detention of the French registered trawler is the fourth such detention by the Naval Service this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed “ deep concern ” about Ireland ’ s ability to monitor fishing activity during the Covid-19 pandemic .
According to a report in The Sunday Times , Bernhard Friess , Acting director-general of the EU Maritime Directorate , has written to Ireland about the issue .
Mr Friess has questioned how Ireland can meet its legal obligation to control and check landings of fish if physical inspections have to be reduced .
Inspectors with the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority ( SFPA ) stopped checking landings in some ports after the Covid-19 guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now fear the Department of the Marine will use the EU letter to pressure them into resuming inspections in wheelhouses and holds .
Mr Friess said the EC “ recognises the challenges presented ” by Covid-19 but expects member states ’ competent authorities to adapt to the new situation .
He said the Commission expects member states “ to introduce the necessary measures and resources to ensure control , inspection and enforcement.
” “ We note the Irish authority intends to continue administrative tasks , cross-checks and vessel monitoring as usual , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But he cautioned the Dept of Agriculture , Food and Marine that while such checks were important “ they do not serve as a substitute for physical controls ” .

The Irish Naval Service has detained a French-registered vessel off the southwest coast on Sunday. Photograph: Andy Buchanan/Getty/AFP
The Irish Naval Service has detained a French-registered vessel off the southwest coast on Sunday for an alleged breach of fishing regulations.
The LE George Bernard Shaw detained the Miss Jacqueline II 180 miles west of the Mizen Head in Co Cork early on Sunday morning for alleged logbook offences.
The trawler is being escorted by the LE George Bernard Shaw to Castletownbere in West Cork where she is expected to arrive at midday on Monday.
It’s expected that the Irish authorities will make an application for a 48 hour detention order at a special court sitting in West Cork on Monday or Tuesday.
READ MORE
The 32-metre long Miss Jacqueline is Spanish owned and fishes out of La Coruna in Northern Spain even though she is registered in Bayonne in France.
The vessel was built in St Malo in Brittany in 1962 but was bought by Spanish owners in 1997, who converted her for use as a long liner to fish for hake.
According to the Defence Forces Press Office, today’s detention of the French registered trawler is the fourth such detention by the Naval Service this year.
The detention comes as the European Commission expressed "deep concern" about Ireland's ability to monitor fishing activity during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to a report in The Sunday Times, Bernhard Friess, Acting director-general of the EU Maritime Directorate, has written to Ireland about the issue.
Mr Friess has questioned how Ireland can meet its legal obligation to control and check landings of fish if physical inspections have to be reduced.
Inspectors with the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) stopped checking landings in some ports after the Covid-19 guidelines were introduced in March.
Some inspectors now fear the Department of the Marine will use the EU letter to pressure them into resuming inspections in wheelhouses and holds.
Mr Friess said the EC “recognises the challenges presented” by Covid-19 but expects member states’ competent authorities to adapt to the new situation.
He said the Commission expects member states “to introduce the necessary measures and resources to ensure control, inspection and enforcement.”
“We note the Irish authority intends to continue administrative tasks, cross-checks and vessel monitoring as usual,” said Mr Friess in his letter.
But he cautioned the Dept of Agriculture, Food and Marine that while such checks were important “they do not serve as a substitute for physical controls”.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Minister warns about ‘complacency’ in North around social distancing

The North ’ s Minister for Health warned of “ complacency ” over adherence to social distancing measures as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals in Northern Ireland rose to almost 300 over the weekend .
Robin Swann told BBC Radio Ulster that people were becoming more relaxed , and he was “ concerned people are starting to ease up on their responsibility ” .
The North ’ s Department of Health reported a further five coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday , bringing the total number of fatalities in the North to 299 .
A further 874 tests were carried @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an additional 82 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the North .
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 3,308 .
The daily Department of Health figures include only deaths in hospitals among patients who have been confirmed to have the virus .
The most recent figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency , which include deaths in all settings including care homes and hospices , show that the number of fatalities up until April 17th is approximately 30 per cent higher than that reported in the daily statistics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ reluctant to put a timetable to the steps that would be taken to emerge from lockdown , “ because once you put a timetable to it that will encourage a greater sense of complacency , a greater sense of ease .
If they ’ re saying this is alright in a fortnight ’ s time , this ’ ll be alright today.
” To anyone who flouted the coronavirus regulations , Mr Swann said : “ I think they should be seriously thinking and looking at themselves as to what the impact and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ] .
” He said he understood the “ frustration ” in many households , adding “ we don ’ t have a medical cure for cabin fever , but what we are asking people is just for that good will , that determination , just over the next number of weeks to help the health service save lives ” .
According to the PSNI , 358 fines were issued for breaches of coronavirus legislation between March 30th and April 24th .
The police also issued 570 community resolution notices , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were 89 fines issued in Belfast , with 52 in Derry and Strabane , and 50 in Newry , Mourne and Down .
The lowest number was in the Causeway Coast and Glens area , where only nine were issued .
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said the “ vast majority ” of people spoken to by police had “ co-operated well , and a relatively small number of penalty notices have been issued to date ” .
Meanwhile , cemeteries in the North reopened on Sunday for the first time since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Executive agreed on Friday that they should reopen following calls from the public and from church leaders .
First Minister Arlene Foster said it was about “ balancing public health concerns with the basic human need to visit a loved one ’ s grave ” .
Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast was busy on Sunday , with people queueing to enter .
A phased reopening has been put in place at Roselawn and Belfast City cemeteries , which are operated by Belfast City Council .
The graveyards will reopen on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the numbers on site and to keep social distancing measures in place .
At the City Cemetery in Derry , a one-way system and a cap on numbers has been introduced .
– Additional reporting PA .

The North’s Minister for Health says he is reluctant to put a timetable on the steps needed to emerge from lockdown. Photograph: Reuters
The North's Minister for Health warned of "complacency" over adherence to social distancing measures as the number of coronavirus-related deaths in hospitals in Northern Ireland rose to almost 300 over the weekend.
Robin Swann told BBC Radio Ulster that people were becoming more relaxed, and he was "concerned people are starting to ease up on their responsibility".
The North's Department of Health reported a further five coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, bringing the total number of fatalities in the North to 299.
A further 874 tests were carried out on 686 patients, resulting in an additional 82 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the North. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 3,308.
READ MORE
The daily Department of Health figures include only deaths in hospitals among patients who have been confirmed to have the virus.
The most recent figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, which include deaths in all settings including care homes and hospices, show that the number of fatalities up until April 17th is approximately 30 per cent higher than that reported in the daily statistics.
Mr Swann said on Sunday he was reluctant to put a timetable to the steps that would be taken to emerge from lockdown, “because once you put a timetable to it that will encourage a greater sense of complacency, a greater sense of ease. If they’re saying this is alright in a fortnight’s time, this’ll be alright today.”
To anyone who flouted the coronavirus regulations, Mr Swann said: “I think they should be seriously thinking and looking at themselves as to what the impact and the implications of their unnecessary travel [are].”
He said he understood the “frustration” in many households, adding “we don’t have a medical cure for cabin fever, but what we are asking people is just for that good will, that determination, just over the next number of weeks to help the health service save lives”.
According to the PSNI, 358 fines were issued for breaches of coronavirus legislation between March 30th and April 24th. The police also issued 570 community resolution notices, which to do not involve a fine.
There were 89 fines issued in Belfast, with 52 in Derry and Strabane, and 50 in Newry, Mourne and Down. The lowest number was in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, where only nine were issued.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said the “vast majority” of people spoken to by police had “co-operated well, and a relatively small number of penalty notices have been issued to date”.
Cemeteries
Meanwhile, cemeteries in the North reopened on Sunday for the first time since their closure last month.
The North’s Executive agreed on Friday that they should reopen following calls from the public and from church leaders.
First Minister Arlene Foster said it was about "balancing public health concerns with the basic human need to visit a loved one's grave".
Milltown Cemetery in west Belfast was busy on Sunday, with people queueing to enter.
A phased reopening has been put in place at Roselawn and Belfast City cemeteries, which are operated by Belfast City Council.
The graveyards will reopen on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and on Sundays to reduce the numbers on site and to keep social distancing measures in place.
At the City Cemetery in Derry, a one-way system and a cap on numbers has been introduced. – Additional reporting PA.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Coronavirus: Additional €1.1m funding for online mental health supports

Additional funding of €1.1 million has been allocated to provide online mental health supports to people suffering from increased anxiety and stress during the coronavirus crisis .
Minister for Health Simon Harris said the funding would help set up a range of additional online and telephone mental health supports for both frontline healthcare staff and the general public .
The additional services would include new online counselling supports for healthcare staff , frontline volunteers , and the members of the public , as well as online courses to help people learn to manage stress .
The funding would allow people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of expanded telepsychiatry services during the lockdown , and also set up new online supports for Leaving Certificate students .
Commenting on Sunday , Mr Harris said the pandemic had caused “ hurt , pain , tragedy for many people .
It has also left many people feeling alone , isolated , anxious and stressed.
” SpunOut , a national youth organisation , has seen an increase of 44 per cent in young people contacting the organisation since the start of the public health crisis .
The number of young people contacting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased by 100 per cent .
Alone , a charity supporting the elderly , said it has had nearly 16,000 calls to its national helpline , with loneliness the most common issue experienced by callers .
MyMind , who provide online counselling and psychotherapy , said it has seen a tenfold increase in the number of people seeking services , 20 per cent of who were seeking assistance with depression .
Anne O ’ Connor , HSE chief operations officer , said the health service was conscious “ that bereaved families and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time.
” Additional counselling support is being introduced for frontline healthcare workers over the coming weeks , due to staff dealing with high numbers of deaths in facilities such as nursing homes .
“ We know that people are very very stressed working in those environments , ” Ms O ’ Connor said .

Additional funding of €1.1 million has been allocated to provide online mental health support during the coronavirus crisis. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
Additional funding of €1.1 million has been allocated to provide online mental health supports to people suffering from increased anxiety and stress during the coronavirus crisis.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said the funding would help set up a range of additional online and telephone mental health supports for both frontline healthcare staff and the general public.
The additional services would include new online counselling supports for healthcare staff, frontline volunteers, and the members of the public, as well as online courses to help people learn to manage stress.
The funding would allow people currently accessing mental health services to avail of expanded telepsychiatry services during the lockdown, and also set up new online supports for Leaving Certificate students.
READ MORE
Commenting on Sunday, Mr Harris said the pandemic had caused “hurt, pain, tragedy for many people. It has also left many people feeling alone, isolated, anxious and stressed.”
SpunOut, a national youth organisation, has seen an increase of 44 per cent in young people contacting the organisation since the start of the public health crisis. The number of young people contacting the organisation due to anxiety and stress has increased by 100 per cent.
Alone, a charity supporting the elderly, said it has had nearly 16,000 calls to its national helpline, with loneliness the most common issue experienced by callers.
MyMind, who provide online counselling and psychotherapy, said it has seen a tenfold increase in the number of people seeking services, 20 per cent of who were seeking assistance with depression.
Anne O’Connor, HSE chief operations officer, said the health service was conscious “that bereaved families and our frontline staff have had a particularly challenging time.”
Additional counselling support is being introduced for frontline healthcare workers over the coming weeks, due to staff dealing with high numbers of deaths in facilities such as nursing homes. “We know that people are very very stressed working in those environments,” Ms O’Connor said.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Gardaí break up gang attack at north Dublin shopping centre

Gardaí broke up a suspected gang attack on two people at a north Dublin shopping centre on Saturday evening .
@ @ @ @ @ of six men attempted to attack two others in what gardaí believe was part of @ @ @ @ @ factions from the suburbs of Kilbarrack and Raheny .
“ Gardaí attended a public order @ @ @ @ @ retail premises in Raheny , Dublin 5 , at approximately 5.20pm , ” a Garda @ @ @ @ @ arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
” It is understood gardai who were @ @ @ @ @ of the men and intervened .
CCTV footage is being used to confirm the identity @ @ @ @ @ suspect Saturday ’ s incident is linked to an ongoing dispute between a group of @ @ @ @ @ older men .
Recent violent incidents between the two groups have seen golf clubs and @ @ @ @ @ weapons .

Gardai suspect Saturday’s incident is linked to an ongoing dispute between a group of teenagers and a number older men. File photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Gardaí broke up a suspected gang attack on two people at a north Dublin shopping centre on Saturday evening.
It is understood a group of six men attempted to attack two others in what gardaí believe was part of an ongoing dispute between rival factions from the suburbs of Kilbarrack and Raheny.
“Gardaí attended a public order incident that occurred at a retail premises in Raheny, Dublin 5, at approximately 5.20pm,” a Garda spokesman said. “No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.”
It is understood gardai who were at the scene recognised some of the men and intervened. CCTV footage is being used to confirm the identity of those present.
READ MORE
Gardai suspect Saturday’s incident is linked to an ongoing dispute between a group of teenagers and a number of older men. Recent violent incidents between the two groups have seen golf clubs and other items being used as weapons.


theirishtimes--2020-04-26--Man (63) drowns in ‘tragic accident’ in Tramore

Gardaí are to prepare a file for an inquest at the coroner ’ s court following the death of a swimmer in a drowning incident in Co Waterford over the weekend .
The body of the 63-year-old man was spotted in shallow water by women walking on the beach in Tramore at around 1.35pm on Saturday afternoon .
The emergency services were alerted and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford was tasked to assist .
Local volunteers from Tramore RNLI also attended at the scene as did gardaí from Tramore who were alerted when the alarm was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who found the man administered CPR but they were unable to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at the scene .
The man ’ s body was later removed to University Hospital Waterford where a postmortem is due to take place on Monday .
Gardaí said there is nothing to suggest anything suspicious about the man ’ s death , which they described as “ a tragic accident ” Gardaí have identified the man but have not released his name until all next of kin are notified .
It is understood he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to establish when he was last seen alive and what time he went swimming at the beach which was quiet because of Covid-19 restrictions .
A Garda spokesman confirmed the results of the postmortem will be included in a file which they will submit for an inquest at the Coroner ’ s Court .

A 63-year-old man has drowned in an incident in Tramore. Photograph: Stephen Collins/Collins
Gardaí are to prepare a file for an inquest at the coroner's court following the death of a swimmer in a drowning incident in Co Waterford over the weekend.
The body of the 63-year-old man was spotted in shallow water by women walking on the beach in Tramore at around 1.35pm on Saturday afternoon.
The emergency services were alerted and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117 from Waterford was tasked to assist.
Local volunteers from Tramore RNLI also attended at the scene as did gardaí from Tramore who were alerted when the alarm was raised.
READ MORE
It is understood the women who found the man administered CPR but they were unable to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man’s body was later removed to University Hospital Waterford where a postmortem is due to take place on Monday.
Gardaí said there is nothing to suggest anything suspicious about the man’s death, which they described as “a tragic accident”
Gardaí have identified the man but have not released his name until all next of kin are notified. It is understood he lived in Waterford city.
Gardaí are trying to establish when he was last seen alive and what time he went swimming at the beach which was quiet because of Covid-19 restrictions.
A Garda spokesman confirmed the results of the postmortem will be included in a file which they will submit for an inquest at the Coroner’s Court.