theirishtimes--2020-10-24--Covid-19: Taoiseach warns ‘bumpy roads ahead’ as 859 cases and four deaths reported

A further 859 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths have been recorded in the State as the Taoiseach warned there were “ bumpy roads ahead ” in the fight against the disease .
In a statement on Saturday evening , the Department of Health said a total of 56,108 cases have now been recorded in Ireland and 1,882 people with the disease have died .
Of the latest cases , 192 were in Dublin , 148 were in Cork , 58 were in Donegal , 55 in Galway , 54 were in Meath and the remaining 352 were spread across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the department said .
The median age of those diagnosed with the disease was 35 years , with 441 cases diagnosed among women and 415 among men .
As of 2pm on Saturday there were 315 people ill with Covid-19 in hospitals , with 37 of these in intensive care units .
Sixteen people were hospitalised as a result of Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours , the department said .
A total of 14,423 cases have been confirmed in the last 14 days , with the disease ’ s incidence rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of population .
The rate of infection is highest in Cavan ( 981.9 per 100,000 ) , Meath ( 652.7 per 100,000 ) and Westmeath ( 448.3 per 100,000 ) .
The rate in Dublin is now at 254.1 cases per 100,000 with the lowest rates being recorded in Tipperary ( 122.8 cases per 100,000 people ) , Wicklow ( 143.2 per 100,000 ) and Kilkenny ( 180.4 per 100,000 ) .
Meanwhile , Northern Ireland ’ s Department of Health said it was notified of six further Covid-19 linked deaths and 923 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that there are “ bumpy roads ahead ” for Ireland in the struggle against Covid-19 .
With the State this week moving to the highest level of restrictions in an effort to contain the disease , Mr Martin said lessons had been learned from reopening society and the economy after the first lockdown .
This experience would inform the decisions that will need to be made when it comes to easing restrictions at the end of the six week period , he said .
“ As a country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are a lot of bumpy roads ahead in relation to Covid-19 , ” he told the MacGill Summer School , which is being held online this year because of the pandemic .
Mr Martin accepted the Level 5 restrictions are “ very difficult ” for people “ who are now fatigued , particularly after the first lockdown ” but added “ that is the cycle we are in ” .
He suggested there is evidence that Level 3 restrictions had “ some controlling influence on the spread of the virus and I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that how we manage the next one is going to be important ” .
“ The issue seems to me that at Level 2 a whole lot of behaviour developed that seeded a lot of the spread of the virus , ” he added .
HSE data , obtained by The Irish Times , shows that the average number of contacts that a positive case has reported after testing positive has fallen to an average of three from five last week and six at the start of this month .
Defending the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan , Mr Martin said some politicians across Europe “ thought it was very effective ” and “ sort of praised it ” in their parliaments , “ particularly the Dutch parliament ” .
Pressed on why the coalition only moved the country to Level 5 two weeks after the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) recommended a lockdown , Mr Martin said time was needed “ to prepare ground for the move ” .
Other issues such as schools , construction and the mental health impact had to be considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leary .
Again ruling out calls from some to try to eradicate the virus or to let it transmit uncontrolled through the population to give so-called herd immunity , Mr Martin said the strategy is one of “ trying to suppress it through human behaviour and restrictions ” .
The Government also had to keep the economy viable and set foundations “ for recovery after Covid ” , which he said was “ no mean achievement in itself ” .
Speaking earlier at the summer school , Prof Adrian Hill , who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Oxford that is seeking to develop a vaccine , said he believes “ one or two ” vaccine candidates being trialed worldwide would be “ shown to work before the end of the year ” .
But he said the “ sobering reality ” is that no vaccine has ever been given to even half billion people in a year and that health authorities globally would be trying to do “ five times that ” to bring the pandemic under control .
Leading vaccines would likely provide immunity for two or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , people might need a “ booster ” jab every winter , as happens with the flu vaccine , he suggested .
Prof Hill said governments also needed to start looking at developing and stockpiling vaccines against the threat of future pandemics from known viruses which could jump from animals to humans .
He said the World Health Organisation had identified 12 such threats which are “ pretty well agreed ” .

A further 859 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths have been recorded in the State as the Taoiseach warned there were ‘bumpy roads ahead’ in the fight against the disease. Photograph Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times.
A further 859 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths have been recorded in the State as the Taoiseach warned there were “bumpy roads ahead” in the fight against the disease.
In a statement on Saturday evening, the Department of Health said a total of 56,108 cases have now been recorded in Ireland and 1,882 people with the disease have died.
Of the latest cases, 192 were in Dublin, 148 were in Cork, 58 were in Donegal, 55 in Galway, 54 were in Meath and the remaining 352 were spread across the State’s other 21 counties, the department said.
The median age of those diagnosed with the disease was 35 years, with 441 cases diagnosed among women and 415 among men.
READ MORE
As of 2pm on Saturday there were 315 people ill with Covid-19 in hospitals, with 37 of these in intensive care units. Sixteen people were hospitalised as a result of Covid-19 in the previous 24 hours, the department said.
A total of 14,423 cases have been confirmed in the last 14 days, with the disease’s incidence rate running nationally at 302.9 cases per 100,000 of population.
The rate of infection is highest in Cavan (981.9 per 100,000), Meath (652.7 per 100,000) and Westmeath (448.3 per 100,000). The rate in Dublin is now at 254.1 cases per 100,000 with the lowest rates being recorded in Tipperary (122.8 cases per 100,000 people), Wicklow (143.2 per 100,000) and Kilkenny(180.4 per 100,000).
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's Department of Health said it was notified of six further Covid-19 linked deaths and 923 cases in the previous 24-hours.
‘Bumpy roads ahead’
Earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin warned that there are “bumpy roads ahead” for Ireland in the struggle against Covid-19.
With the State this week moving to the highest level of restrictions in an effort to contain the disease, Mr Martin said lessons had been learned from reopening society and the economy after the first lockdown.
This experience would inform the decisions that will need to be made when it comes to easing restrictions at the end of the six week period, he said.
“As a country we are getting through this and there are a lot of bumpy roads ahead in relation to Covid-19,” he told the MacGill Summer School, which is being held online this year because of the pandemic.
Mr Martin accepted the Level 5 restrictions are “very difficult” for people “who are now fatigued, particularly after the first lockdown” but added “that is the cycle we are in”.
He suggested there is evidence that Level 3 restrictions had “some controlling influence on the spread of the virus and I think we have learned from the first reopening that how we manage the next one is going to be important”.
“The issue seems to me that at Level 2 a whole lot of behaviour developed that seeded a lot of the spread of the virus,” he added.
HSE data, obtained by The Irish Times, shows that the average number of contacts that a positive case has reported after testing positive has fallen to an average of three from five last week and six at the start of this month.
Plan defended
Defending the Government’s plan on living with Covid-19 plan, Mr Martin said some politicians across Europe “thought it was very effective” and “sort of praised it” in their parliaments, “particularly the Dutch parliament”.
Pressed on why the coalition only moved the country to Level 5 two weeks after the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) recommended a lockdown, Mr Martin said time was needed “to prepare ground for the move”.
Other issues such as schools, construction and the mental health impact had to be considered, he told interviewer Olivia O’Leary.
Again ruling out calls from some to try to eradicate the virus or to let it transmit uncontrolled through the population to give so-called herd immunity, Mr Martin said the strategy is one of “trying to suppress it through human behaviour and restrictions”.
The Government also had to keep the economy viable and set foundations “for recovery after Covid”, which he said was “no mean achievement in itself”.
Speaking earlier at the summer school, Prof Adrian Hill, who is working with a a team at the University of Oxford that is seeking to develop a vaccine, said he believes “one or two” vaccine candidates being trialed worldwide would be “shown to work before the end of the year”.
Sobering reality
But he said the “sobering reality” is that no vaccine has ever been given to even half billion people in a year and that health authorities globally would be trying to do “five times that” to bring the pandemic under control.
Leading vaccines would likely provide immunity for two or three years, but, with some, people might need a “booster” jab every winter, as happens with the flu vaccine, he suggested.
Prof Hill said governments also needed to start looking at developing and stockpiling vaccines against the threat of future pandemics from known viruses which could jump from animals to humans.
He said the World Health Organisation had identified 12 such threats which are “pretty well agreed”.


theirishtimes--2020-10-24--Sinn Féin ‘summoned’ people to Storey funeral to deliver political message - Taoiseach

Sinn Féin representatives were “ summoned ” to the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey in defiance of coronavirus restrictions in a planned effort to push a political message “ down everyone ’ s throats ” , the Taoiseach has said .
In a marked departure from his previous insistence that people not be “ overly judgmental ” about the large attendance at the former IRA figure ’ s funeral in Belfast in June , Micheál Martin suggested it was evidence of “ behind the scenes ” control over elected party members .
“ There are individuals there who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have a greater influence over the elected representatives , ” he said .
Citing Mr Storey ’ s funeral , where mourners included Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald , former leader Gerry Adams and the North ’ s deputy first minister Michelle O ’ Neill , Mr Martin described it as a “ political funeral ” .
A decision was taken to “ defy ” public health guidelines “ to make a very clear political statement around the war as they ’ d call it , ” he told the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online due to the pandemic .
“ People were summoned from the length and breadth of the country to attend to make a statement , ” he said .
The turnout was part of Sinn Féin ’ s attempts to control a narrative around the Troubles which is “ being shoved down everyone ’ s throats ” , he told interviewer Olivia O ’ Leary on Saturday .
“ I have a problem with that , I really see that kind of behaviour as illustrative of the influence behind the scenes ... that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do here and you better all toe the line here , ” he said .
When asked about the funeral attendance back in July , Mr Martin was reluctant to make any criticism , saying his “ overall perspective on this is to try and ensure that this doesn ’ t damage , or undermine , the institutions within the North ” .
“ The one point I would make is we have to be careful not to be overly judgemental of people ’ s behaviour , ” he said at the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Sinn Féin in future , Mr Martin said “ fundamentally , Sinn Féin is a party that needs to change .
It is a very controlling party over its members and has been for quite some time ” .
He said that to be in government with a party , he would need to be satisfied that it is run by elected representatives .
“ I have never been satisfied to this day that has been the case with the modern Sinn Féin party , ” he said .
Mr Martin also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fianna Fáil ’ s core policy of the political reunification of Ireland .
At the launch of the Government ’ s Shared Island initiative during the week , he said his own priority was to promote greater North-South cooperation , prioritising sharing the island over reunification .
Some TDs in his party have criticised him for no longer using the term “ united Ireland ” .
But the Taoiseach insisted on Saturday that “ Fianna Fáil is committed to a united Ireland , that has always been its position.
” It was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to suggest a shared island agenda in the context of the Belfast Agreement “ is somehow straying from Fianna Fail policy ” , he added .
“ It ’ s a nonsense… I don ’ t think it ’ s fair .
To me , it is a very noble objective to say to all persuasions on this island , how do we share this island , ” he said , adding that his approach “ is more in step with the Irish people , ” he said .
“ We have done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political party over the last number of years .
“ We have identified a very strong middle ground in Northern Ireland , that want to get things done for them , that want to create a future.
” Mr Martin said he is “ very impatient and hungry to get real progress on these kinds of issues .
”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has claimed that Sinn Féin representatives were ‘summoned’ to the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey in defiance of coronavirus restrictions in a planned effort to push a political message ‘down everyone’s throats’. File photograph: Julian Behal Photography/PA Wire.
Sinn Féin representatives were "summoned" to the funeral of veteran republican Bobby Storey in defiance of coronavirus restrictions in a planned effort to push a political message "down everyone's throats", the Taoiseach has said.
In a marked departure from his previous insistence that people not be "overly judgmental" about the large attendance at the former IRA figure's funeral in Belfast in June, Micheál Martin suggested it was evidence of "behind the scenes" control over elected party members.
“There are individuals there who are not elected, it seems to me, who have a greater influence over the elected representatives,” he said.
A crowd listens to former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams speak during the funeral of Bobby Storey in Belfast in June. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire.
Citing Mr Storey's funeral, where mourners included Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, former leader Gerry Adams and the North's deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill, Mr Martin described it as a "political funeral".
READ MORE
A decision was taken to “defy” public health guidelines “to make a very clear political statement around the war as they’d call it,” he told the MacGill School, which is being held online due to the pandemic.
“People were summoned from the length and breadth of the country to attend to make a statement,” he said.
‘Toe the line’
The turnout was part of Sinn Féin’s attempts to control a narrative around the Troubles which is “being shoved down everyone’s throats”, he told interviewer Olivia O’Leary on Saturday.
“I have a problem with that, I really see that kind of behaviour as illustrative of the influence behind the scenes...that this is what we are going to do here and you better all toe the line here,” he said.
When asked about the funeral attendance back in July, Mr Martin was reluctant to make any criticism, saying his “overall perspective on this is to try and ensure that this doesn’t damage, or undermine, the institutions within the North”.
“The one point I would make is we have to be careful not to be overly judgemental of people’s behaviour,” he said at the time.
Asked on Saturday about sharing power with Sinn Féin in future, Mr Martin said “fundamentally, Sinn Féin is a party that needs to change. It is a very controlling party over its members and has been for quite some time”.
He said that to be in government with a party, he would need to be satisfied that it is run by elected representatives.
“I have never been satisfied to this day that has been the case with the modern Sinn Féin party,” he said.
Irish unity
Mr Martin also denied there has been any departure from Fianna Fáil's core policy of the political reunification of Ireland.
At the launch of the Government’s Shared Island initiative during the week, he said his own priority was to promote greater North-South cooperation, prioritising sharing the island over reunification.
Some TDs in his party have criticised him for no longer using the term "united Ireland". But the Taoiseach insisted on Saturday that "Fianna Fáil is committed to a united Ireland, that has always been its position."
It was “very false and frankly ill informed” to suggest a shared island agenda in the context of the Belfast Agreement “is somehow straying from Fianna Fail policy”, he added.
“It’s a nonsense… I don’t think it’s fair. To me, it is a very noble objective to say to all persuasions on this island, how do we share this island,” he said, adding that his approach “is more in step with the Irish people,” he said.
"We have done research on Northern Ireland ourselves as a political party over the last number of years.
“We have identified a very strong middle ground in Northern Ireland, that want to get things done for them, that want to create a future.”
Mr Martin said he is “very impatient and hungry to get real progress on these kinds of issues.”


theirishtimes--2020-10-24--Coronavirus: Six deaths and 923 new cases confirmed in Northern Ireland

There have been six further Covid-19 linked deaths in the last 24-hour reporting period in Northern Ireland and 923 new cases of the virus , the Department of Health confirmed on Satuday .
The death toll recorded by the department now stands at 645 .
There have been 33,209 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland .
There are currently 309 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital , with 34 in intensive care .
Covid-19 has been identified in half of all schools in Northern Ireland since the beginning of term , according to the North ’ s Public Health Agency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PHA showed there were 2,030 confirmed cases of Covid 19 in schools between their reopening on August 24th , and October 18th , when schools closed for an extended , two-week half-term holiday .
In total , 608 Covid 19 incidents involving 519 schools were reported , the PHA said .
The Southern Trust has advised people to slow down while driving and avoid doing household tasks which might lead to injury because of the “ extreme pressures ” experienced at its hospitals .
“ Currently , our hospitals are rightly gearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we will not have the resources to provide our normal high level of service within orthopaedics , ” said consultant Dr Ronan McKeown .
“ If people do injure themselves , we may not be able to offer them the surgery they need at this time which may unfortunately lead to long term health consequences for those individuals.
” Chair of the Stormont Heath Committee Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew said it was “ unacceptable ” patients were not receiving the urgent care they needed .

There have been six further Covid-19 linked deaths in the last 24-hour reporting period in Northern Ireland and 923 new cases of the virus, the Department of Health confirmed on Satuday.
The death toll recorded by the department now stands at 645. There have been 33,209 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland. There are currently 309 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital, with 34 in intensive care.
Covid-19 has been identified in half of all schools in Northern Ireland since the beginning of term, according to the North’s Public Health Agency (PHA).
Data published by the PHA showed there were 2,030 confirmed cases of Covid 19 in schools between their reopening on August 24th, and October 18th, when schools closed for an extended, two-week half-term holiday.
READ MORE
In total, 608 Covid 19 incidents involving 519 schools were reported, the PHA said.
The Southern Trust has advised people to slow down while driving and avoid doing household tasks which might lead to injury because of the “extreme pressures” experienced at its hospitals.
“Currently, our hospitals are rightly gearing up for the latest coronavirus surge and we will not have the resources to provide our normal high level of service within orthopaedics,” said consultant Dr Ronan McKeown.
“If people do injure themselves, we may not be able to offer them the surgery they need at this time which may unfortunately lead to long term health consequences for those individuals.”
Chair of the Stormont Heath Committee Sinn Féin MLA Colm Gildernew said it was “unacceptable” patients were not receiving the urgent care they needed.


theirishtimes--2020-10-24--Covid-19: Over a million units of recalled hand sanitiser sent to health facilities

More than one million units of a brand of hand sanitiser that is no longer authorised for use in Ireland were distributed to health service facilities across the State .
The ViraPro-branded hand sanitiser was found to contain methanol rather than ethanol and the Department of Agriculture has advised the public to stop using it and the company ’ s other products .
Inadequate levels of ethanol render the product ineffective and frequent use of sanitiser with methanol can cause nausea , dermatitis , eye irritation , upper respiratory tract irritation and headaches , it said .
A number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result of the recall as the product had been sent to education centres across the State for use by students and staff .
The Health Service Executive ( HSE ) on Saturday confirmed that it had taken delivery of more than three million units of ViraPro ’ s sanitiser for use in health settings .
Two million of these were in storage and more than a million have been “ issued to health service locations ” , it said .
A HSE spokeswoman said a product recall team had been mobilised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all stocks currently held in the National PPE Distribution Centres ” .
The recall would assist in understanding and establishing “ how much product needs to be uplifted and replaced ” , she said .
She said there was “ ample stock available ” in HSE storage to replace the recalled sanitiser .
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said a potential problem with the sanitiser was first raised on September 25th .
He said Revenue notified the department that the European Anti-Fraud Office had contacted it about the importation of a hand sanitiser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplier of a product tested in Denmark and found to contain excessive levels of methanol .
He said the results of tests the department carried out were fully validated on October 16th .
The Department of Education has acknowledged that it was first alerted to safety issues with the hand sanitiser on Tuesday .
However , schools were not told to stop using it until late on Thursday .
The Department of Agriculture said , in the course of the investigation into the hand sanitiser , it emerged that a number of other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not on its approved list for biocidal products .
“ The company concerned has been advised to withdraw all of these products from the market , ” it said in a statement .
“ Members of the public are advised to stop using these products because they are not authorised for use.
” Minister of State Colm Brophy told RTÉ ’ s Saturday with Katie Hannon that Ministers should have been informed sooner about the issue .
Asked if he was shocked at the delay , given the product was being used by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it , Mr Brophy said the Government was dealing with an unprecedented pandemic and that there was “ so much happening at such a speed ” .
He said it would have been better if the issue had been communicted sooner but that the Department of Education moved “ as fast as they could ” after being notified .
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said it was worrying that a product being used to protect people was not safe and that the delay in informing the Minister was “ unacceptable and speaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time ” .
The HSE spokeswoman said it “ moved immediately ” to deal with the matter when it was informed by the department on Thursday that ViraPro products had been removed from the Biocides Product Register .
She added that the department further advised late on Friday of the need to withdraw “ all products bearing the ‘ ViraPro ’ name and return to the supplier ” .
Dr Paddy Mallon , consultant in infectious disease at St Vincent ’ s Hospital in Dublin , said the incident was “ surprising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools or hospitals , everyone has been struggling to access sufficient supplies of what we need but that has improved over time , ” he added .
“ We need to recognise that there is a need to focus on safety but also how important hand sanitiser and hand washing is .
“ It ’ s an unfortunate hiccup that has had a severe impact on schools ...
The majority of hand sanitiser won ’ t have this particular type of alcohol.
” - Additional reporting - PA

Members of the public have been advised to stop using all Virapro-branded sanitary products after it emerged that several are not authorised for use in the State. File photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times.
More than one million units of a brand of hand sanitiser that is no longer authorised for use in Ireland were distributed to health service facilities across the State.
The ViraPro-branded hand sanitiser was found to contain methanol rather than ethanol and the Department of Agriculture has advised the public to stop using it and the company’s other products.
Inadequate levels of ethanol render the product ineffective and frequent use of sanitiser with methanol can cause nausea, dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory tract irritation and headaches, it said.
A number of schools were forced to close on Friday as a result of the recall as the product had been sent to education centres across the State for use by students and staff.
READ MORE
The Health Service Executive (HSE) on Saturday confirmed that it had taken delivery of more than three million units of ViraPro’s sanitiser for use in health settings. Two million of these were in storage and more than a million have been “issued to health service locations”, it said.
A HSE spokeswoman said a product recall team had been mobilised and that it had “immediately quarantined all stocks currently held in the National PPE Distribution Centres”.
The recall would assist in understanding and establishing “how much product needs to be uplifted and replaced”, she said.
She said there was “ample stock available” in HSE storage to replace the recalled sanitiser.
Problem
Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said a potential problem with the sanitiser was first raised on September 25th. He said Revenue notified the department that the European Anti-Fraud Office had contacted it about the importation of a hand sanitiser from Turkey to Ireland from the same supplier of a product tested in Denmark and found to contain excessive levels of methanol.
He said the results of tests the department carried out were fully validated on October 16th.
The Department of Education has acknowledged that it was first alerted to safety issues with the hand sanitiser on Tuesday. However, schools were not told to stop using it until late on Thursday.
The Department of Agriculture said, in the course of the investigation into the hand sanitiser, it emerged that a number of other sanitary products under the ViraPro brand were not on its approved list for biocidal products.
“The company concerned has been advised to withdraw all of these products from the market,” it said in a statement. “Members of the public are advised to stop using these products because they are not authorised for use.”
Minister of State Colm Brophy told RTÉ’s Saturday with Katie Hannon that Ministers should have been informed sooner about the issue.
Asked if he was shocked at the delay, given the product was being used by children and millions had been spent on it, Mr Brophy said the Government was dealing with an unprecedented pandemic and that there was “so much happening at such a speed”.
He said it would have been better if the issue had been communicted sooner but that the Department of Education moved “as fast as they could” after being notified.
‘Chaos’
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said it was worrying that a product being used to protect people was not safe and that the delay in informing the Minister was “unacceptable and speaks to the chaos we have here at the time”.
The HSE spokeswoman said it “moved immediately” to deal with the matter when it was informed by the department on Thursday that ViraPro products had been removed from the Biocides Product Register.
She added that the department further advised late on Friday of the need to withdraw “all products bearing the ‘ViraPro’ name and return to the supplier”.
Dr Paddy Mallon, consultant in infectious disease at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, said the incident was “surprising”.
“Whether it’s schools or hospitals, everyone has been struggling to access sufficient supplies of what we need but that has improved over time,” he added.
“We need to recognise that there is a need to focus on safety but also how important hand sanitiser and hand washing is.
“It’s an unfortunate hiccup that has had a severe impact on schools...The majority of hand sanitiser won’t have this particular type of alcohol.” - Additional reporting - PA


theirishtimes--2020-10-25--Garda inquiry into video appearing to show crowded shebeen

Gardaí are investigating a video appearing to depict a crowded shebeen , or illegal pub , where people have gathered for a sporting event and celebration .
A key focus of the inquiry is to determine if the scenes were recorded in recent weeks or months , during the Covid-19 pandemic period , which is strongly suspected .
Under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1962 , it is a crime to run an “ unlicenced drinking premises ” and it is also an offence to drink there .
However , gardaí must be able to prove a customer consumed alcohol on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Gardaí have already determined that the premises where the video was recorded has been operating as a shebeen .
The investigation into the premises , and those suspected of running it , is already well advanced .
The next phase of the inquiry will seek to confirm when the video of the crowd packed into the shebeen was recorded .
Investigators suspect the video was recorded very recently on the occasion of a match played in the State and the subsequent celebrations , with members of a sports club in attendance .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage is likely to put pressure on the club and a national sporting body .
The apparent breaches of the Covid-19 regulations depicted in the video would not give rise to criminal charges , however .
Garda sources confirmed that the investigation was underway and that the video was part of the evidence used to launch the criminal investigation into the shebeen .
There appears to be no social distancing in the shebeen in the scenes depicted in the video with the premises packed full of people engaging in celebrations .
In replay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force “ does not comment on unverified online photographs or videos ” .

Gardaí are investigating a video appearing to depict a crowded shebeen, or illegal pub, where people recently gathered for a sporting event and celebration.
Gardaí are investigating a video appearing to depict a crowded shebeen, or illegal pub, where people have gathered for a sporting event and celebration.
A key focus of the inquiry is to determine if the scenes were recorded in recent weeks or months, during the Covid-19 pandemic period, which is strongly suspected.
Under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1962, it is a crime to run an “unlicenced drinking premises” and it is also an offence to drink there. However, gardaí must be able to prove a customer consumed alcohol on the premises before they can be convicted.
Gardaí have already determined that the premises where the video was recorded has been operating as a shebeen. The investigation into the premises, and those suspected of running it, is already well advanced.
READ MORE
The next phase of the inquiry will seek to confirm when the video of the crowd packed into the shebeen was recorded.
Investigators suspect the video was recorded very recently on the occasion of a match played in the State and the subsequent celebrations, with members of a sports club in attendance.
If those suspicions are proven, the footage is likely to put pressure on the club and a national sporting body. The apparent breaches of the Covid-19 regulations depicted in the video would not give rise to criminal charges, however.
Garda sources confirmed that the investigation was underway and that the video was part of the evidence used to launch the criminal investigation into the shebeen.
There appears to be no social distancing in the shebeen in the scenes depicted in the video with the premises packed full of people engaging in celebrations.
In replay to queries, Garda Headquarters said the force “does not comment on unverified online photographs or videos”.


theirishtimes--2020-10-25--Reid says HSE have ‘fixed’ Covid-19 tracing collapse of last weekend

The “ vast majority ” of the almost 2,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases who were asked to do their own contact tracing last weekend had only household contacts , the chief executive of the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) has said .
The HSE ’ s contract tracing system collapsed last week due to a sudden surge in cases and a lack of staff to deal with them .
As a result , thousands of people who had tested positive for the virus were asked to ring their own contacts in order to prevent a backlog of contact tracing calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the HSE , said the agency had been reaching out to positive cases over the past week , to see how the completion of their contact tracing calls went .
“ Specifically relating to those 2,000 people over the last weekend , we have started to call them this weekend , throughout yesterday and through today just to assess how they ’ ve got on in making their contacts last week , ” Mr Reid told Newstalk ’ s On The Record .
“ One positive take out of it is what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The vast majority of their contacts were household so we would immediately expect if somebody has been a positive case , that household contacts would have restricted themselves immediately.
” He added that they will continue to contact those people throughout the day on that matter .
Mr Reid acknowledged that what happened last week “ shouldn ’ t have happened to the extent that it happened ” .
“ It was one of those overwhelming weekend were 3,500 calls had to be made .
To put it into context , we went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ calls per week in a very short period of time and that definitely culminated last weekend , ” he said .
“ In essence what caught up last weekend was an absolute uncontrolled levels in the community.
” He added : “ What we are seeing is calls taking significantly longer , probably double the time they were taking at the start of this , more volume of calls [ SIC ] and more complex calls that we ’ re having to make as well.
” Mr Reid added that he regrets what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HSE “ fixed it ” .
“ What we did during the summer was four things .
Firstly build up the number of community testing centres and recruited workers to do that , secondly improved the logistics of the transfer of those swabs to more efficient testing , thirdly built up our lab capacity to now over 120,000 and we building more over the coming weeks and finally the recruitment of tracers , ” he said .
Asked about the issue of ViraPro handsanitisers , which have been recalled due to the presence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reid said it was “ obviously ” a concern .
He said they are in the process of recalling one million hand sanitisers .
“ We are putting the recall notice out to the whole health system just in case they locally procurred any ViraPro products .
”

US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has said that it would be clear whether a COVID-19 vaccine was safe and effective by early December, but that widespread vaccination would not be likely until later in 2021. Video: Andrew Marr Show / BBC
A further 1,025 cases of Covid-19 and no additional deaths have been recorded in the State, the Department of Health has said.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the department said a total of 57,128 cases have now been confirmed in Ireland and 1,882 people with the disease have died.
Of the latest cases, 255 were in Dublin, 147 were in Cork, 77 were in Galway, 54 were in Kildare, 53 were in Donegal and the remaining 439 were spread across 21 counties. The median age of those infected was 31.
A total of 315 people with the disease are currently in the State’s hospitals, with 38 in intensive care units. The department said there had been 16 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
READ MORE
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “If you’re a confirmed case, have had a test or have symptoms of Covid-19, you must self-isolate for 10 days.
“If you live with a case or have been told you’re a close contact, you must restrict your movements for 14 days. Everyone else should stay at home, unless for essential reasons or for exercise within 5km of where you live.”
The 14-day incidence rate of Covid-19 across the State is now 307.5 cases per 100,000 people. Cavan, with an incidence of 966.2, is the worst affected county, followed by Meath, where the incidence is 657.3.
Westmeath and Sligo both have incidences above 400, while Monaghan, Galway, Cork, Donegal, Wexford and Kildare have incidences above 300.
Tipperary, with an incidence of 134.8, has the lowest figures nationally followed by Wicklow (146 per 100,000) and Kilkenny (175.3 per 100,000).
Northern Ireland’s Department of Health on Sunday said there had been six further Covid-19 linked deaths in the previous 24-hour reporting period and 923 more cases. The death toll recorded by the department now stands at 645 and there have been 33,209 confirmed cases in the North. There are currently 309 patients with Covid-19 being treated in Northern Irish hospitals, with 34 people in intensive care.
Key indicators
A number of key indicators relating to the spread of Covid-19 in the State have levelled off in recent days.
The proportion of people testing positive, along with the number of close contacts per person - important indicators of the rate of transmission of the disease in the community - have fallen.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid on Sunday morning noted the eight-day fall in the positivity rate for tests, which on Saturday stood at 6.2 per cent for the previous seven days.
Mr Reid also noted a fall in the number of close contacts, down from 4½ per confrimed case to three.
“Most close contacts are household. Still very early but good. We’re all be part of the solution. Let’s keep this going,” he said on Twitter.
Officials caution against reading too much into single-day figures but the improvements seen across a range of indicators point to some stabilisation of the situation.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told RTÉ’s This Week that while it is “early days”, the Level 3 restrictions put in place in early October “are starting to have an effect”.
“You know we’re seeing the number of cases level off and the positivity rate fall. It is early days yet though, and we’ve yet to see what the effect of the Level 5 measures is, we won’t really know that until really November sometime.”
Mr Varadkar said the Government is “increasingly optimistic” that it will be possible to start vaccinating those most at risk from Covid-19 “in the first half if not first quarter of next year”.
He said he is confident that Ireland can move to “Level 3 and a bit” in December. “But at the same time, we need to not be complacent.”
The Government’s strategy is, he said, “to delay the virus to slow it down until such a time as a vaccine available”. Mr Varadkar said it is not inevitable that Ireland will be back in Level 5 in the New Year.
Tracing collapse
Meanwhile, Mr Reid said a “vast majority” of the almost 2,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases who were asked to do their own contact tracing last weekend had only reported having household contacts.
The HSE’s contract tracing system collapsed last week due to a sudden surge in cases and a lack of staff to deal with them. As a result, thousands of people who had tested positive for the virus were asked to ring their own contacts in order to prevent a backlog of contact tracing calls.
Mr Reid told Newstalk that what happened last week “shouldn’t have happened to the extent that it happened”.
“It was one of those overwhelming weekend were 3,500 calls had to be made. To put it into context, we went from 8,000 calls per week to 28,000 calls per week in a very short period of time and that definitely culminated last weekend,” he said.
“In essence what caught up last weekend was an absolute uncontrolled levels in the community.”
He added: “What we are seeing is calls taking significantly longer, probably double the time they were taking at the start of this, more volume of calls [SIC]and more complex calls that we’re having to make as well.”
Mr Reid added that he regrets what happened last weekend, adding that the HSE “fixed it”.
“What we did during the summer was four things. Firstly build up the number of community testing centres and recruited workers to do that, secondly improved the logistics of the transfer of those swabs to more efficient testing, thirdly built up our lab capacity to now over 120,000 and we building more over the coming weeks and finally the recruitment of tracers,” he said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-25--Transmission of Covid-19 on flight into Ireland linked to 59 infections

Inflight transmission of Covid-19 may have resulted in the infection of 59 people across the State , including 13 passengers on the same long-distance flight , according to a new study .
The outbreak occurred despite low levels of occupancy on the long-haul flight , the fact that different groups of passengers who tested positive were not sitting near each other and the fact that most were wearing masks , the study notes .
The authors say the outbreak demonstrates the potential for the spread of Covid-19 linked to air travel .
Onward transmission from the 13 passenger cases resulted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six out of the eight HSE health regions across the country , necessitating national oversight of the outbreak .
The 13 passengers , ranging in age from one to 65 years , had transferred to an Ireland-bound flights via a large international airport , having flown into Europe from three different continents .
One group of cases reported spending up to 12 hours overnight in the transit lounge during stopover ; another shared a separate transit lounge ; while two other groups had separate short waits of under two hours in the general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland was 7½ hours long and had a passenger occupancy of 17 per cent , with just 49 out of 283 seats occupied , and 12 crew .
The study , published in Eurosurveillance journal , suggests the high number of cases could be linked to “ high intensity of infection and high viral shedding ” in the index case , which was not identified .
Inflight transmission is a plausible exposure for some of the cases that occurred on the flight , and the only common exposure for others , according to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public health doctors .
Between two and 17 days passed before symptoms showed among the cases .
Eleven passengers on the flight could not be contacted , and one declined to be tested .
The study says swift action is needed where cases with no other link emerge beyond the close contact two-seat radius usually applied in investigating outbreaks involving air passengers .
“ Stringent on-board infection prevention and control measures are vital to reduce the risk of both symptomatic and asymptomatic in-flight transmission.
” At the time of the outbreak , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was under 5 cases per 100,000 people ; today , it is over 300 .

Inflight transmission of Covid-19 may have resulted in the infection of 59 people across the State, including 13 passengers on the same long-distance flight, according to a new study. Image: iStock.
Inflight transmission of Covid-19 may have resulted in the infection of 59 people across the State, including 13 passengers on the same long-distance flight, according to a new study.
The outbreak occurred despite low levels of occupancy on the long-haul flight, the fact that different groups of passengers who tested positive were not sitting near each other and the fact that most were wearing masks, the study notes.
The authors say the outbreak demonstrates the potential for the spread of Covid-19 linked to air travel.
Onward transmission from the 13 passenger cases resulted in a total of 59 cases in six out of the eight HSE health regions across the country, necessitating national oversight of the outbreak.
READ MORE
The 13 passengers, ranging in age from one to 65 years, had transferred to an Ireland-bound flights via a large international airport, having flown into Europe from three different continents.
One group of cases reported spending up to 12 hours overnight in the transit lounge during stopover; another shared a separate transit lounge; while two other groups had separate short waits of under two hours in the general airport departure area.
Low occupancy
The flight into Ireland was 7½ hours long and had a passenger occupancy of 17 per cent, with just 49 out of 283 seats occupied, and 12 crew.
The study, published in Eurosurveillance journal, suggests the high number of cases could be linked to “high intensity of infection and high viral shedding” in the index case, which was not identified.
Inflight transmission is a plausible exposure for some of the cases that occurred on the flight, and the only common exposure for others, according to the research by a team of HSE public health doctors.
Between two and 17 days passed before symptoms showed among the cases.
Eleven passengers on the flight could not be contacted, and one declined to be tested.
The study says swift action is needed where cases with no other link emerge beyond the close contact two-seat radius usually applied in investigating outbreaks involving air passengers.
“Stringent on-board infection prevention and control measures are vital to reduce the risk of both symptomatic and asymptomatic in-flight transmission.”
At the time of the outbreak, the 14-day incidence of the disease in Ireland was under 5 cases per 100,000 people; today, it is over 300.


theirishtimes--2020-10-25--Cyclist in his 60s dies after road collision in Co Cork

A cyclist in his 60s has died after a road collision in Co Cork on Saturday evening .
Gardaí have @ @ @ @ @ the incident involving a bicycle and a car on Lower Corkhill Road in the centre @ @ @ @ @ .
The emergency services were alerted but the man who was cycling was pronounced dead @ @ @ @ @ body was taken to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem .
It is understood that @ @ @ @ @ was not injured but was badly shaken and was treated by paramedics at the scene @ @ @ @ @ was closed off by gardaí and diversions were put in place to allow Forensic Crash @ @ @ @ @ Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the collision or have any information @ @ @ @ @ to to contact them .
They are particularly anxious to speak any road users who @ @ @ @ @ including dash-cam ) to contact them at Youghal Garda station on 024 - 92200 .

Gardaí have appealed for witnesses after a male cyclist aged in his 60s was seriously injured after falling from his bike while cycling on the R614 at Ballybrack
Southern Correspondent Gardaí have appealed for witnesses after the deaths of two cyclists in Co Cork at the weekend.
One incident claimed the life of a 64-year-old man in east Cork. The deceased, a Polish national living in Youghal, was cycling down Lower Corkhill Road in Youghal when he was involved in the incident with a car coming up the hill on Saturday evening.
The cyclist suffered serious head injuries. Paramedics attended to him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene, and his body removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem.
It is understood the driver of the car, a 27-year-old local man, was not injured but was badly shaken and he was treated at the scene for shock.
READ MORE
Gardaí closed off the road and diversions were put in place for several hours to allow a Garda forensic crash investigator to examine the scene.
Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any information that might assist their investigation to contact them.
They are particularly anxious to speak to any road-users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam), and have asked them to contact Youghal Garda station on 024 92200.
A second cyclist died on Sunday. At approximately 10.20am a male cyclist aged in his 60s was seriously injured after falling from his bike while cycling on the R614 at Ballybrack.
He was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. It is understood no other vehicle was involved in the incident.
The scene was examined by Garda forensic collision investigators, and the local coroner has been notified of the death.
Investigating gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact them at Fermoy Garda station (025) 82100 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.


theirishtimes--2020-10-24--Couple found guilty of murdering Irish dancer with ‘devil’s breath’ drug

A man and a woman have been convicted of the first known murder in Britain using a poison known as “ devil ’ s breath ” .
Adrian Murphy ( 43 ) , from Ireland , was found dead in his south London flat in June 2019 after being targeted by Joel Osei ( 25 ) via the dating app Grindr .
Mr Murphy , a champion dancer , was given the poison – also known as scopolamine – in a soft drink by Osei .
Afterwards Osei and his accomplice , Diana Cristea ( 18 ) tried to buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York jeweller with Mr Murphy ’ s credit card .
Crispin Aylett QC , prosecuting , told Croydon crown court the drug was known as “ devil ’ s breath ” in Colombia and was said to be “ popular with robbers and rapists ” to incapacitate their victims .
A second man , a 40-year-old from Walthamstow , east London , was also targeted by the pair days earlier , but survived and helped police identify his attackers .
Osei used Grindr to lure the men into meeting him , intending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would be too embarrassed to tell the police .
Cristea would be handed the goods to sell .
Pathological tests on MR Murphy , who was found dead in his Battersea flat on June 4th last year , identified the poison in his system and traces were found in a nearby drinks can .
CCTV caught Osei walking towards the property and , two hours later , leaving with a holdall full of stolen goods .
Osei called and messaged Cristea 23 times while in and around the flat and later handed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bank cards , a designer bag and wallet , and clothes .
The Walthamstow victim was also robbed .
Police found items belonging to him and Mr Murphy at Cristea ’ s address in Tottenham , north London .
Scopolamine , which is derived from nightshade plants , has been explored by the CIA for its possible use as a truth serum .
DCI Robert Pack , said : “ In a callous and calculated plan to make what he saw as easy money , Osei engaged with his victims on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupefying them with a powerful drug and stealing their valuables – Osei ’ s indiscriminate use of a drug he knew to be dangerous led to the tragic death of Adrian Murphy .
Although scopolamine is known to be commonly used in other parts of the world to facilitate crimes , we believe this is the first scopolamine-related homicide in the UK .
“ Mr Murphy ’ s brother Robert said : “ Adrian brought the love and art of dance to thousands of young people all over the world .
He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gifted dancer and choreographer .
Our family are heartbroken.
” Osei and Cristea face mandatory life sentences .
They are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on December 14th .
Pack added : “ We have worked closely with a whole host of partners in the charity sector and LGBT+ community to help us with our understanding of the complexities of this case and reassure those who may have been affected by these incidents .
We want to make sure that anyone who may have suffered the same way knows how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there.
” –Guardian

A man and a woman have been convicted of the first known murder in Britain using a poison known as “devil’s breath”.
Adrian Murphy (43), from Ireland, was found dead in his south London flat in June 2019 after being targeted by Joel Osei (25) via the dating app Grindr.
Mr Murphy, a champion dancer, was given the poison – also known as scopolamine – in a soft drink by Osei. Afterwards Osei and his accomplice, Diana Cristea (18) tried to buy more than £60,000 of valuables from a New York jeweller with Mr Murphy’s credit card.
Crispin Aylett QC, prosecuting, told Croydon crown court the drug was known as “devil’s breath” in Colombia and was said to be “popular with robbers and rapists” to incapacitate their victims.
READ MORE
A second man, a 40-year-old from Walthamstow, east London, was also targeted by the pair days earlier, but survived and helped police identify his attackers.
Osei used Grindr to lure the men into meeting him, intending to drug and rob them, believing they would be too embarrassed to tell the police. Cristea would be handed the goods to sell.
Pathological tests on MR Murphy, who was found dead in his Battersea flat on June 4th last year, identified the poison in his system and traces were found in a nearby drinks can.
CCTV caught Osei walking towards the property and, two hours later, leaving with a holdall full of stolen goods. Osei called and messaged Cristea 23 times while in and around the flat and later handed her a haul of laptops, phones, bank cards, a designer bag and wallet, and clothes.
The Walthamstow victim was also robbed. Police found items belonging to him and Mr Murphy at Cristea’s address in Tottenham, north London.
Scopolamine, which is derived from nightshade plants, has been explored by the CIA for its possible use as a truth serum.
DCI Robert Pack, said: “In a callous and calculated plan to make what he saw as easy money, Osei engaged with his victims on a social networking app with the intention of stupefying them with a powerful drug and stealing their valuables – Osei’s indiscriminate use of a drug he knew to be dangerous led to the tragic death of Adrian Murphy. Although scopolamine is known to be commonly used in other parts of the world to facilitate crimes, we believe this is the first scopolamine-related homicide in the UK. “
Mr Murphy’s brother Robert said: “Adrian brought the love and art of dance to thousands of young people all over the world. He was an inspirational Irishman, who was a gifted dancer and choreographer. Our family are heartbroken.”
Osei and Cristea face mandatory life sentences. They are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on December 14th.
Pack added: “We have worked closely with a whole host of partners in the charity sector and LGBT+ community to help us with our understanding of the complexities of this case and reassure those who may have been affected by these incidents. We want to make sure that anyone who may have suffered the same way knows how to get help and what support is out there.” –Guardian


theirishtimes--2020-10-26--Appeal for missing woman: 'She is my only sister... it’s still torture'

Berna Fidan has played out every scenario in her mind of what may have happened to her sister when she disappeared 9½ years ago in Bray , Co Wicklow .
“ She is my only sister and it ’ s still torture .
It just goes round and round in your head .
There ’ s never been any leads .
It ’ s the unknown , it ’ s an ongoing nightmare for us.
” Esra Uryun , who was originally from London , had been living in Ireland for four years when she disappeared on the morning of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The 38-year-old mother told her husband she was popping out briefly to buy milk and left her home in Collinstown Grove , Clondalkin , Dublin , at about 7.15am in the family car , a grey Renault Twingo ( 08-D-23067 ) .
She was due to drop the car back for her husband to go to work but never came home .
The car was discovered at 11pm that night on the promenade in Bray .
All these years on , Fidan still questions the timeline of that morning .
Her sister ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Power City roundabout close to her home in Clondalkin at 8am .
“ She had left her house at 7.15am , that roundabout is only a four-minute drive .
If there ’ s no traffic , why did it take her so long to get there ?
Did she stop to help someone ?
Did someone get in her car ?
” CCTV later captured her car driving erratically beside Bray strand where it nearly collided with a silver Skoda Octavia .
The car was parked by the promenade at about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was driving the car .
Footage which became available later as part of the investigation shows a woman moving towards Bray Head after 10am .
However , Fidan is sure that woman is not her sister .
“ She doesn ’ t even have the same figure as her .
And what did she do , sit in the car for 2½ hours before going for a walk ?
That ’ s not my sister.
” Fidan has repeatedly called for the driver of the silver Skoda to come forward to ask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the car .
She ’ s also keen to underline that her sister ’ s small purse was discovered in the boot of the car .
“ A lot of papers have written her handbag was in the boot but we ’ re talking about a small purse .
What woman shoves her purse in the boot of a car ?
” She also rejects the suggestion that Esra may have died by suicide .
“ My mother and mother-in-law were due to fly over on the Thursday and she was booking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Someone who is suicidal isn ’ t thinking about posh restaurants and birthdays.
” Fidan and her family remain hopeful that some day , someone who knows something will read about her sister and come forward .
Esra ’ s husband Ozgur and her son now live back in the UK while Fidan travels over from London two to three times a year to renew the appeal and meet gardaí .
“ We just need answers , good or bad .
I ’ m hoping someone will look into their conscience and speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5ft 3in with dark hair and green eyes .
When last seen , she was wearing black leggings , white Nike trainers and a dark top .
Anyone with information is asked to contact Ronanstown Garda station on 01 666 7700 , the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station .

Esra Uryun went missing from her home in Clondalkin, Dublin, on February 23rd, 2011. She was last seen in Bray, Co Wicklow.
Berna Fidan has played out every scenario in her mind of what may have happened to her sister when she disappeared 9½ years ago in Bray, Co Wicklow.
“She is my only sister and it’s still torture. It just goes round and round in your head. There’s never been any leads. It’s the unknown, it’s an ongoing nightmare for us.”
Esra Uryun, who was originally from London, had been living in Ireland for four years when she disappeared on the morning of Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011.
The 38-year-old mother told her husband she was popping out briefly to buy milk and left her home in Collinstown Grove, Clondalkin, Dublin, at about 7.15am in the family car, a grey Renault Twingo (08-D-23067).
READ MORE
Why did it take her so long to get there? Did she stop to help someone? Did someone get in her car?
She was due to drop the car back for her husband to go to work but never came home. The car was discovered at 11pm that night on the promenade in Bray.
All these years on, Fidan still questions the timeline of that morning. Her sister’s car was first spotted by CCTV at the Power City roundabout close to her home in Clondalkin at 8am. “She had left her house at 7.15am, that roundabout is only a four-minute drive. If there’s no traffic, why did it take her so long to get there? Did she stop to help someone? Did someone get in her car?”
Silver Skoda
CCTV later captured her car driving erratically beside Bray strand where it nearly collided with a silver Skoda Octavia. The car was parked by the promenade at about 8.40am but CCTV footage does not show who was driving the car.
Footage which became available later as part of the investigation shows a woman moving towards Bray Head after 10am. However, Fidan is sure that woman is not her sister. “She doesn’t even have the same figure as her. And what did she do, sit in the car for 2½ hours before going for a walk? That’s not my sister.”
Fidan has repeatedly called for the driver of the silver Skoda to come forward to ask if they remember anything about the driver of the car. She’s also keen to underline that her sister’s small purse was discovered in the boot of the car.
“A lot of papers have written her handbag was in the boot but we’re talking about a small purse. What woman shoves her purse in the boot of a car?”
We just need answers, good or bad. I'm hoping someone will look into their conscience and speak up
She also rejects the suggestion that Esra may have died by suicide. “My mother and mother-in-law were due to fly over on the Thursday and she was booking a posh restaurant for her birthday. Someone who is suicidal isn’t thinking about posh restaurants and birthdays.”
Fidan and her family remain hopeful that some day, someone who knows something will read about her sister and come forward. Esra’s husband Ozgur and her son now live back in the UK while Fidan travels over from London two to three times a year to renew the appeal and meet gardaí.
“We just need answers, good or bad. I’m hoping someone will look into their conscience and speak up.”
Esra is described as being 5ft 3in with dark hair and green eyes. When last seen, she was wearing black leggings, white Nike trainers and a dark top. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ronanstown Garda station on 01 666 7700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.


theirishtimes--2020-10-26--Gardaí say 52 people who went missing in 2020 not yet found

Fifty-two people , including 18 children , who have gone missing across Ireland so far this year have not yet been found , figures released by An Garda Síochána show .
A total of 6,358 reports of missing people had been made by mid-September , including 4,627 reports of people under the age of 18 who had disappeared , according to Garda figures .
Of these , 6,306 have been found , including 4,609 under-18s .
A total of 823 missing person cases remain open in Ireland , down from the 890 cases that were unresolved in December 2019 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Between 9,300 and 9,700 reports for missing persons have been made every year since 2017 .
Reports of children and teenagers disappearing tend to account for about three-quarters of these .
While the vast majority of cases are resolved , a small number of incidents always remain unaccounted for .
Of the 9,489 missing person cases reported in 2019 , 30 were unaccounted for by the end of the year .
At the end of 2018 there were 28 cases out of 9,682 still open .
Scientific breakthroughs in DNA tracking and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ database in 2015 , which is managed by Forensic Science Ireland , have played a vital role in solving a number of long-running missing person cases in recent years .
In 2018 updated technology helped identify the remains of two long-term missing people : Margaret Glennon ( 49 ) from Baldoyle , Dublin , who went missing in 1995 ; and James Gallagher ( 18 ) from Cabra , also Dublin , who disappeared in 1999 .
Carmel Griffin of the Garda Missing Persons Bureau said missing person files were reviewed on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has passed , and it encouraged families still searching for a loved one to consider renewing their appeals around the anniversary of their disappearance .
She urged families to give DNA samples , which can be uploaded to the missing persons database .
Social media has also become an important tool for disseminating information on a missing person as quickly as possible , she said .
“ Cases aren ’ t closed because time has passed , ” she said , adding that there had been a surge in the number of people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conor Whooley ’ s body last year .
Mr Whooley , who went missing in 1983 , was identified after his family provided DNA samples , which were used to identify remains that had been buried in Wales .
The discovery was part of the Garda ’ s Operation Runabay , which was set up more than three years ago to identify the bodies of people who may have entered the Irish Sea and could have ended up on the west coast of Britain .
Ten missing people had been identified using family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of 2019 .
“ It ’ s important the public know that Operation Runabay is still going on and that families trying to locate missing people consider giving a DNA sample if they haven ’ t already done so , ” Ms Griffin said .
Asked if there was a common profile for people who go missing in Ireland , a Garda spokesman said people reported missing came from “ all parts of society ” .
Foreign nationals who are reported missing in Ireland can show up in a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country ” , he said .

In 2018 updated technology helped identify the remains of Margaret Glennon (49) from Baldoyle, Dublin, who went missing in 1995.
Fifty-two people, including 18 children, who have gone missing across Ireland so far this year have not yet been found, figures released by An Garda Síochána show.
A total of 6,358 reports of missing people had been made by mid-September, including 4,627 reports of people under the age of 18 who had disappeared, according to Garda figures.
Of these, 6,306 have been found, including 4,609 under-18s.
A total of 823 missing person cases remain open in Ireland, down from the 890 cases that were unresolved in December 2019. The longest-running case dates back to 1951.
READ MORE
Between 9,300 and 9,700 reports for missing persons have been made every year since 2017. Reports of children and teenagers disappearing tend to account for about three-quarters of these. While the vast majority of cases are resolved, a small number of incidents always remain unaccounted for.
Of the 9,489 missing person cases reported in 2019, 30 were unaccounted for by the end of the year. At the end of 2018 there were 28 cases out of 9,682 still open.
Scientific breakthroughs in DNA tracking and the establishment of the National Missing Persons database in 2015, which is managed by Forensic Science Ireland, have played a vital role in solving a number of long-running missing person cases in recent years.
In 2018 updated technology helped identify the remains of two long-term missing people: Margaret Glennon (49) from Baldoyle, Dublin, who went missing in 1995; and James Gallagher (18) from Cabra, also Dublin, who disappeared in 1999.
DNA samples
Carmel Griffin of the Garda Missing Persons Bureau said missing person files were reviewed on a regular basis regardless of how much time has passed, and it encouraged families still searching for a loved one to consider renewing their appeals around the anniversary of their disappearance.
She urged families to give DNA samples, which can be uploaded to the missing persons database.
Social media has also become an important tool for disseminating information on a missing person as quickly as possible, she said.
“Cases aren’t closed because time has passed,” she said, adding that there had been a surge in the number of people getting in touch since the identification of Conor Whooley’s body last year.
Mr Whooley, who went missing in 1983, was identified after his family provided DNA samples, which were used to identify remains that had been buried in Wales. The discovery was part of the Garda's Operation Runabay, which was set up more than three years ago to identify the bodies of people who may have entered the Irish Sea and could have ended up on the west coast of Britain.
Ten missing people had been identified using family DNA samples as part of Operation Runabay by the end of 2019.
“It’s important the public know that Operation Runabay is still going on and that families trying to locate missing people consider giving a DNA sample if they haven’t already done so,” Ms Griffin said.
Asked if there was a common profile for people who go missing in Ireland, a Garda spokesman said people reported missing came from “all parts of society”. Foreign nationals who are reported missing in Ireland can show up in a “variety of locations,including their home country”, he said.


theirishtimes--2020-10-26--Survey finds 55% of Irish people would take Covid vaccine

Just over half the population would take a Covid-19 vaccine if there was one , according to a survey commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry .
Men are more likely to take the vaccine , and older people more than the young , the survey for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association suggests .
Some 55 per cent of people surveyed said they would opt for the vaccine , 33 per cent were unsure and 12 per cent said they would not take it .
One fifth of those aged between 18 and 34 were opposed to taking the vaccine .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently in development , with the first three products expected to be approved in the coming months .
However , questions remain about the effectiveness of a vaccine for the virus and how long it would take to roll out supplies globally .
A further 1,025 confirmed cases of the virus were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Sunday .
This brings to 57,128 the total number of cases of the disease in the Republic .
No new deaths were reported by Nphet , leaving the total number of deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 255 were in Dublin , 147 in Cork , 77 in Galway , 54 in Kildare , 53 in Donegal and the remaining 439 cases were spread across 21 counties .
Some 71 per cent were under 45 years of age and the median age of cases was 31 .
Meanwhile , frustration is growing among doctors at what they see is a failure to understand the rule on isolation for Covid-19 .
“ Recurring lockdowns will be our only option until the guidance to isolate/restrict movements is uniformly followed , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Irish College of General Practitioners , who urged employers to stop asking close contacts to get tested “ so they can return to work ” .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said : “ If you ’ re a confirmed case , have had a test or have symptoms of Covid-19 , you must self-isolate for 10 days .
If you live with a case or have been told you ’ re a close contact , you must restrict your movements for 14 days .
“ Everyone else should stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for exercise within 5km of where you live.
” According to the Department of Health , there were 315 hospitalised patients with Covid-19 on Sunday afternoon , up from 312 the day before .
ICU numbers increased by one to 38 .
The 14-day incidence of the disease stands at 307.5 per 100,000 people , according to the latest figures .
Cavan , with an incidence of 966.2 , is the worst affected county , followed by Meath , where the incidence is 657.3 .
Westmeath and Sligo both have incidences over 400 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Donegal , Wexford and Kildare have incidences over 300 .
Tipperary , with an incidence of 134.8 , has the lowest figures nationally .
No testing was carried out at the weekend at the National Virus Reference Laboratory in University College Dublin , which is suffering staff shortages after some were forced to self-isolate .
The NVRL said this would not affect national testing capacity and that the 600 daily tests normally performed by the lab on the Belfield campus would be processed by other facilities .
A number of key indicators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent days , latest data shows .
The proportion of people testing positive , along with the number of close contacts per person – both important indicators of the rate of transmission of the virus in the community – have fallen .
Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid on Sunday noted a fall in the positivity rate for tests , which on Saturday stood at 6.2 per cent for the previous seven days .
Mr Reid also highlighted a drop in the number of close contacts , down from an average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Most close contacts are household .
Still very early but good .
We ’ re all part of the solution .
Let ’ s keep this going , ” he tweeted .
More than 1,000 new cases a day of the disease have been recorded on 11 days this month , but about 300 fewer cases were recorded last week compared to the one before .
The rate of community transmission has remained constant , at 28 per cent , since the start of the month .
Officials caution against reading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improvements seen across a range of indicators points to some stabilisation of the situation .

File photo of vials prepared for clinical trial of University of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, AZD1222, one of the vaccines in development worldwide. Photograph: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty
Just over half the population would take a Covid-19 vaccine if there was one, according to a survey commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry.
Men are more likely to take the vaccine, and older people more than the young, the survey for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association suggests.
Some 55 per cent of people surveyed said they would opt for the vaccine, 33 per cent were unsure and 12 per cent said they would not take it. One fifth of those aged between 18 and 34 were opposed to taking the vaccine.
Hospital Report
More than 150 candidate vaccines for Covid-19 are currently in development, with the first three products expected to be approved in the coming months. However, questions remain about the effectiveness of a vaccine for the virus and how long it would take to roll out supplies globally.
READ MORE
A further 1,025 confirmed cases of the virus were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Sunday. This brings to 57,128 the total number of cases of the disease in the Republic.
No new deaths were reported by Nphet, leaving the total number of deaths at 1,882.
Of the new cases 255 were in Dublin, 147 in Cork, 77 in Galway, 54 in Kildare, 53 in Donegal and the remaining 439 cases were spread across 21 counties.
Some 71 per cent were under 45 years of age and the median age of cases was 31.
Meanwhile, frustration is growing among doctors at what they see is a failure to understand the rule on isolation for Covid-19.
“Recurring lockdowns will be our only option until the guidance to isolate/restrict movements is uniformly followed,” according to Dr Nuala O’Connor of the Irish College of General Practitioners, who urged employers to stop asking close contacts to get tested “so they can return to work”.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said: "If you're a confirmed case, have had a test or have symptoms of Covid-19, you must self-isolate for 10 days. If you live with a case or have been told you're a close contact, you must restrict your movements for 14 days.
“Everyone else should stay at home, unless for essential reasons or for exercise within 5km of where you live.”
According to the Department of Health, there were 315 hospitalised patients with Covid-19 on Sunday afternoon, up from 312 the day before. ICU numbers increased by one to 38.
County breakdown
The 14-day incidence of the disease stands at 307.5 per 100,000 people, according to the latest figures. Cavan, with an incidence of 966.2, is the worst affected county, followed by Meath, where the incidence is 657.3.
Westmeath and Sligo both have incidences over 400, while Monaghan, Galway, Cork, Donegal, Wexford and Kildare have incidences over 300.
Tipperary, with an incidence of 134.8, has the lowest figures nationally.
No testing was carried out at the weekend at the National Virus Reference Laboratory in University College Dublin, which is suffering staff shortages after some were forced to self-isolate. The NVRL said this would not affect national testing capacity and that the 600 daily tests normally performed by the lab on the Belfield campus would be processed by other facilities.
A number of key indicators for the spread of Covid-19 have declined in recent days, latest data shows.
The proportion of people testing positive, along with the number of close contacts per person – both important indicators of the rate of transmission of the virus in the community – have fallen.
Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid on Sunday noted a fall in the positivity rate for tests, which on Saturday stood at 6.2 per cent for the previous seven days.
Mr Reid also highlighted a drop in the number of close contacts, down from an average of 4.5 to three for each case.
“Most close contacts are household. Still very early but good. We’re all part of the solution. Let’s keep this going,” he tweeted.
More than 1,000 new cases a day of the disease have been recorded on 11 days this month, but about 300 fewer cases were recorded last week compared to the one before.
The rate of community transmission has remained constant, at 28 per cent, since the start of the month.
Officials caution against reading too much into single-day figures but the improvements seen across a range of indicators points to some stabilisation of the situation.


theirishtimes--2020-10-26--Poaching of wild songbirds so lucrative criminals are monitoring nests

The poaching of wild songbirds has become so lucrative that criminals are monitoring nests in a bid to circumvent the law , according to a senior garda .
A sealed ring on a songbird traditionally suggested it was born in captivity and could legally be sold .
But according to Supt Martin Walker , poachers have started stalking birds in the nest and ringing the young birds before they fledge in a bid to get around the law .
“ It ’ s very lucrative .
A pair of bullfinches , for example , can sell for up to €200 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime .
He said that during nesting season , poachers monitor two or three nests at a time , waiting for birds to hatch so that they can ring the young thus avoiding prosecution .
Niall Hatch of Birdwatch Ireland said he was aware of this practice , noting also that “ the stress of being captured and handled by humans could lead to the death of some songbirds ” .
It ’ s one of a range of wildlife crimes which prompted the launch on Saturday by PAW ( Partnership for Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app designed to make it easier for members of the public to detect and report a range of offences such as habitat destruction , poaching and the killing of protected species .
The app was launched at an online Irish Wildlife Crime and Conservation conference organised by Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland .
At the conference , Minister for Heritage Darragh O ’ Brien pledged that recruitment for a long-promised wildlife crime unit under the National Parks and Wildlife Service ( NPWS ) would begin in 2021 .
“ While much wildlife crime is local @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved in investigating it , as many perpetrators have links with other more serious crime , ” the Minister pointed out .
He highlighted a report in the past week which showed that from 2007 to 2019 there were 338 incidents involving birds of prey which were killed , the majority by poisoning or shooting .
The figure was described as “ just the tip of the iceberg ” by Mr Hatch who said thousands of birds had died over this period with the vast majority going undetected and unrecorded .
Revelations about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Co Cork earlier this year fuelled calls for the establishment of a dedicated wildlife crime unit .
Mr Hatch said that the use of the banned pesticide Carbofuran in this mass poisoning illustrated the scale of the threat to endangered birds of prey – and also to humans .
“ This substance is deadly toxic and would be lethal if someone went to help a bird in distress , ” he said .
NPWS rangers believe that pigeons laced with Carbofuran are sometimes used as bait when raptors are poisoned .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NPWS said that while pigeon fanciers protecting their investment were often suspected of being involved in the poisoning of birds of prey , sometimes carelessness was the cause .
“ Farmers sometimes put out poison for foxes and might not be targeting birds of prey , ” he explained .
While the impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant trade has affected the demand for venison , Supt Walker said some criminals were slaughtering deer for “ sport ” .
“ In the last few years they have been bringing out dogs at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly cruel , ” he said .
The damage done to deer by three or four lurchers in such situations would leave the meat unfit for human consumption .
“ These guys are doing it for the thrill of the blood not for profit , ” the garda explained .
He said hare poaching was another cruel “ sport ” which often resulted in a hare being attacked by a number of dogs who pull it apart “ like a teddy bear ” .
“ And farmers are often afraid to confront the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I call ‘ farm invasions ’ , ” said Supt Walker .

A pair of bullfinches can sell for up to €200, said the specialist in wildlife crime. File photograph: Getty
The poaching of wild songbirds has become so lucrative that criminals are monitoring nests in a bid to circumvent the law, according to a senior garda.
A sealed ring on a songbird traditionally suggested it was born in captivity and could legally be sold. But according to Supt Martin Walker, poachers have started stalking birds in the nest and ringing the young birds before they fledge in a bid to get around the law.
“It’s very lucrative. A pair of bullfinches, for example, can sell for up to €200,” said the specialist in wildlife crime. He said that during nesting season, poachers monitor two or three nests at a time, waiting for birds to hatch so that they can ring the young thus avoiding prosecution.
Niall Hatch of Birdwatch Ireland said he was aware of this practice, noting also that “the stress of being captured and handled by humans could lead to the death of some songbirds”.
READ MORE
It’s one of a range of wildlife crimes which prompted the launch on Saturday by PAW (Partnership for Action against Wildlife Crime) Ireland of an app designed to make it easier for members of the public to detect and report a range of offences such as habitat destruction, poaching and the killing of protected species.
The app was launched at an online Irish Wildlife Crime and Conservation conference organised by Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland. At the conference, Minister for Heritage Darragh O’Brien pledged that recruitment for a long-promised wildlife crime unit under the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) would begin in 2021.
“While much wildlife crime is local, we should not underestimate the dangers involved in investigating it, as many perpetrators have links with other more serious crime,” the Minister pointed out.
He highlighted a report in the past week which showed that from 2007 to 2019 there were 338 incidents involving birds of prey which were killed, the majority by poisoning or shooting.
The figure was described as “just the tip of the iceberg” by Mr Hatch who said thousands of birds had died over this period with the vast majority going undetected and unrecorded.
Toxic
Revelations about the poisoning of 23 buzzards on farmland in Co Cork earlier this year fuelled calls for the establishment of a dedicated wildlife crime unit. Mr Hatch said that the use of the banned pesticide Carbofuran in this mass poisoning illustrated the scale of the threat to endangered birds of prey – and also to humans.
“This substance is deadly toxic and would be lethal if someone went to help a bird in distress,” he said.
NPWS rangers believe that pigeons laced with Carbofuran are sometimes used as bait when raptors are poisoned. But Brian Duffy a former conservation ranger with the NPWS said that while pigeon fanciers protecting their investment were often suspected of being involved in the poisoning of birds of prey, sometimes carelessness was the cause.
“Farmers sometimes put out poison for foxes and might not be targeting birds of prey,” he explained.
While the impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant trade has affected the demand for venison, Supt Walker said some criminals were slaughtering deer for “sport”.
“In the last few years they have been bringing out dogs at night to bring down deer which is particularly cruel,” he said. The damage done to deer by three or four lurchers in such situations would leave the meat unfit for human consumption. “These guys are doing it for the thrill of the blood not for profit,” the garda explained.
He said hare poaching was another cruel “sport” which often resulted in a hare being attacked by a number of dogs who pull it apart “like a teddy bear”.
“And farmers are often afraid to confront the poachers on their own land during what I call ‘farm invasions’,” said Supt Walker.


theirishtimes--2020-10-26--Wet pubs and schools reopening led to rise in Covid cases, says Mayo GP

We should re-think our attitude to keeping secondary schools open , according to a GP who believes that schools and wet pubs have been significant factors in the sharp rise in Covid-19 numbers .
Co Mayo-based Dr Jerry Cowley who referred 29 of his patients for Covid tests on Wednesday alone , said he believed wet pubs were the “ Trojan horse which allowed Covid back into the community ” .
Similarly he questioned the consensus that schools must remain open at all costs , saying “ schools have definitely been a factor in the slippage that has occurred ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be kept under review , Dr Cowley said that people might argue that young children were not spreaders but this was not the case with teenagers .
“ I think we should have a re-think [ in relation to secondary schools ] .
This is a very devious virus .
We should not have hard and fast rules .
We can not be ruling things in or out ” .
The former Independent TD said there was no doubt that there had been a steep rise in the virus within the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It is in the community now and so it will go to older people , who have been magnificent and who have been protecting themselves .
They want to live and a lot of older people have been cocooning since March because they are dead scared ” .
Dr Cowley said that even though there had been a lot of tourists in the Mulranny-Achill area over the summer , people had “ behaved themselves ” but once wet pubs opened “ that was the beginning of the end ” .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ welcomed the return to normality , he had to admit in hindsight that “ social distancing got less important with every pint ” .
Welcoming the new concept of social bubbles , Dr Cowley also said that , while there had been a lot of talk about mental health in the debate about tightening restrictions , the bottom line for older people was that they wanted to survive .
“ This virus is a killer that has absolutely no mercy .
Even young people don ’ t know the damage it could do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not a blame game but it is a learning game and what we are seeing now is that the virus is all over the place ” .
While most people had made great efforts , some had started to drop their guard and the level 5 restrictions were “ overdue ” , he added .
Asked if the Government should have acceded to the Chief Medical Officer ’ s recommendation to go to Level 5 earlier this month , Dr Cowley said : “ I think maybe they should have .
Tony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I know myself that there is a lot of pressure on politicians and maybe they had people ringing them up saying how will I pay my mortgage and you can see how they might wilt.
” Despite the recent controversy about contact tracing Dr Cowley said his experience was good and patients had been getting tested and were getting their results quickly .
His biggest fear now was that the virus would get into congregated settings such as nursing homes , he said .
“ What we are seeing now is that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think when people practise poor social distancing and drop their guard a bit , that happens .
I don ’ t think some people realised what they were dealing with , that this is really perverse .
It is serious stuff ” .

We should re-think our attitude to keeping secondary schools open, according to a GP who believes that schools and wet pubs have been significant factors in the sharp rise in Covid-19 numbers.
Co Mayo-based Dr Jerry Cowley who referred 29 of his patients for Covid tests on Wednesday alone, said he believed wet pubs were the "Trojan horse which allowed Covid back into the community".
Similarly he questioned the consensus that schools must remain open at all costs , saying “schools have definitely been a factor in the slippage that has occurred”.
Hospital Report
Calling for the situation regarding schools to be kept under review, Dr Cowley said that people might argue that young children were not spreaders but this was not the case with teenagers . “I think we should have a re-think [in relation to secondary schools]. This is a very devious virus . We should not have hard and fast rules. We cannot be ruling things in or out”.
READ MORE
The former Independent TD said there was no doubt that there had been a steep rise in the virus within the community, with older people now being affected.
“It is in the community now and so it will go to older people, who have been magnificent and who have been protecting themselves. They want to live and a lot of older people have been cocooning since March because they are dead scared”.
Dr Cowley said that even though there had been a lot of tourists in the Mulranny-Achill area over the summer, people had "behaved themselves" but once wet pubs opened "that was the beginning of the end".
While he, like many others, had welcomed the return to normality, he had to admit in hindsight that “social distancing got less important with every pint”.
Welcoming the new concept of social bubbles, Dr Cowley also said that, while there had been a lot of talk about mental health in the debate about tightening restrictions, the bottom line for older people was that they wanted to survive.
“This virus is a killer that has absolutely no mercy. Even young people don’t know the damage it could do to their hearts and lungs . This is not a blame game but it is a learning game and what we are seeing now is that the virus is all over the place”.
While most people had made great efforts, some had started to drop their guard and the level 5 restrictions were “overdue”, he added.
Asked if the Government should have acceded to the Chief Medical Officer's recommendation to go to Level 5 earlier this month, Dr Cowley said: "I think maybe they should have. Tony Holohan is around a long time. I know myself that there is a lot of pressure on politicians and maybe they had people ringing them up saying how will I pay my mortgage and you can see how they might wilt."
Despite the recent controversy about contact tracing Dr Cowley said his experience was good and patients had been getting tested and were getting their results quickly.
His biggest fear now was that the virus would get into congregated settings such as nursing homes, he said.
“What we are seeing now is that it is all over the place. I think when people practise poor social distancing and drop their guard a bit, that happens. I don’t think some people realised what they were dealing with, that this is really perverse. It is serious stuff”.


theirishtimes--2020-10-26--Covid-19: ‘We didn’t want all of our work to be jeopardised’

When Hartstown Community School learned of its third case of Covid-19 , it followed the official guidelines : the student self-isolated while the principal waited on a call from public health authorities to identify other close contacts .
This call is supposed to take place on the day or the following day .
Two days later , there was still no call .
Instead of waiting , principal Lucia Ryan took matters into her own hands : she messaged parents asking them to contact the school directly if they had been notified of any close contacts among their children .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before the school was contacted and a risk assessment was carried out .
“ Parents were contacting us and we were aware that the HSE was inundated , so I decided to send out a message .
.
.
we didn ’ t want all of our work to be jeopardised by a delay , ” she says .
The school ’ s experience is one example of many in recent times where pressure and delays with the contact tracing system have forced school leaders to take on contact tracing roles themselves .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ happy with the school ’ s experience to date in managing the Covid-19 threat .
It is located in the Mulhuddart/Blanchardstown area of Dublin which has recorded some of the highest Covid-19 rates in the country .
Nonetheless , it has detected a total of just three cases of the virus in what is one of the largest secondary schools in the country with 1,200 students .
“ Teachers , staff and students have been amazing .
We ’ ve rolled out new procedures and everyone has adapted very well , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Any cases have come in from the wider community and haven ’ t been spread in the school and we ’ re very proud of that.
” She says if the Government provided more funding to test and trace services , it would ensure delays do not happen and would reduce the anxiety and stress that can surround a positive case .
The school , like all secondary schools , has a mandatory face-mask policy .
It also splits up larger classes and uses its gym as a temporary learning hub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing are also strictly implemented to reduce the risk of any virus spread .
“ We ’ ll be happy to come back after mid-term , ” she says .
“ We want to be a safe working and learning environment .
Nothing is ever 100 per cent safe , but a huge amount has gone into making everything as safe as possible and meeting all the challenges that arise .
We ’ ve been doing a really good job so far – the key is not to become complacent .
”

When Hartstown Community School learned of its third case of Covid-19 , it followed the official guidelines: the student self-isolated while the principal waited on a call from public health authorities to identify other close contacts.
This call is supposed to take place on the day or the following day. Two days later, there was still no call.
Instead of waiting, principal Lucia Ryan took matters into her own hands: she messaged parents asking them to contact the school directly if they had been notified of any close contacts among their children.
In the end, six days passed before the school was contacted and a risk assessment was carried out.
READ MORE
“Parents were contacting us and we were aware that the HSE was inundated, so I decided to send out a message . . . we didn’t want all of our work to be jeopardised by a delay,” she says.
Pressure and delays
The school’s experience is one example of many in recent times where pressure and delays with the contact tracing system have forced school leaders to take on contact tracing roles themselves.
Despite the delay , Ryan is generally happy with the school’s experience to date in managing the Covid-19 threat.
It is located in the Mulhuddart/Blanchardstown area of Dublin which has recorded some of the highest Covid-19 rates in the country.
Nonetheless, it has detected a total of just three cases of the virus in what is one of the largest secondary schools in the country with 1,200 students.
“Teachers, staff and students have been amazing. We’ve rolled out new procedures and everyone has adapted very well, and we continue to adapt,” she says.
“Any cases have come in from the wider community and haven’t been spread in the school and we’re very proud of that.”
Mandatory masks
She says if the Government provided more funding to test and trace services, it would ensure delays do not happen and would reduce the anxiety and stress that can surround a positive case.
The school, like all secondary schools, has a mandatory face-mask policy. It also splits up larger classes and uses its gym as a temporary learning hub where students learn remotely.
Hand-sanitising and social distancing are also strictly implemented to reduce the risk of any virus spread.
“We’ll be happy to come back after mid-term,” she says. “We want to be a safe working and learning environment. Nothing is ever 100 per cent safe, but a huge amount has gone into making everything as safe as possible and meeting all the challenges that arise. We’ve been doing a really good job so far – the key is not to become complacent.”