theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Coronavirus: An additional 31 deaths reported in the Republic

The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) at its briefing on Wednesday evening .
There have now been 1,190 Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic with two of those who died in the age 15-24 year old age bracket .
NPHET also reported 376 new confirmed cases .
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 20,253 .
New figures presented at the briefing indicate seven out of every 10 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered from the disease .
By last last Saturday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - 64 per cent - while 1,164 , or 6 per cent , were discharged from hospital .
An analysis of deaths shows 87 per cent had underlying conditions and 53 per cent of cases were in men .
The median age of deaths was 83 and the mean age was 81 .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he did not believe the circumstances were in place for an easing of restrictions .
Citing the almost 400 new cases reported on Wednesday , he said “ the experience we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite at the level we ’ d like it to be ” for restrictions to be loosened .
Dr Holohan said he did not anticipate any significant change in NPHET ’ s stance on the issue in the coming days , though he added there were still five or six days to go before the current restriction period ends and “ we ’ re hoping we ’ ll see progress ” .
An analysis of cases up to last Monday ( 19,723 cases ) , shows 58 per cent were female and 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ median age was 49 years .
A total of 2,669 cases ( 13 per cent ) were hospitalised and of these , 355 were admitted to ICU .
The number of cases associated with healthcare workers now stands at 5,568 .
Of the 356 admissions to ICU , 129 patients remain there while 173 have been discharged , and 54 patients have died .
Some 83 per cent of patients in ICU had underlying conditions and the median age was 60 .
There are now a total of 369 clusters of the disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nursing homes , NPHET reported .
Residential care settings account for 4,363 cases , of which 3,457 are in nursing homes .
There have been 697 deaths in residential care settings , comprising 547 laboratory-confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 150 probable/suspected cases .
In nursing homes alone , there have been 593 deaths , made up for 458 laboratory-confirmed cases and 135 probable/suspected ones .
Residential care settings account for 59 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths ; nursing homes alone account for 50 per cent of deaths .
A census of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the year to April 19th revealed 586 Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes , 16 in disability centres and 14 in mental health units , according to Dr Kathleen MacLellan , assistant secretary of the Department of Health .
There were 616 virus-related deaths in these settings out of total deaths of 3,368 over the period .
“ From the end of March we have seen an increase in deaths in this sector that can be attributed to Covid-19 , ” she said .
Ireland is one of the few countries collecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settings since the start of the pandemic , according to Dr MacLellan .
NPHET will give further consideration to the issue of mask-wearing in the general community at its meeting on Friday , Dr Holohan said .
The change in case definition for GP referrals which came into force on Tuesday has led to an increase in referrals for testing , he added , “ which is what we expected and wanted to see ” .
Dr Holohan said about half of the new cases originated in nursing homes but others had occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission were too high and “ we don ’ t have a good enough sense of where cases in the community are coming from ” .
Dr Holohan said if he was advising the Government today , he would say current restrictions on movement should not be lifted .
He said there were still more than 100 people in intensive care units and hundreds more in hospital with Covid-19 .
“ The experience that we are having with the population in terms of overall disease pattern is not quite at the level we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have made great progress in terms of slowing the growth rate ... but we are still at a point where we have over a hundred people in intensive care units which is bigger than the number of people we had in intensive care units at the point at which we introduced the tighter restrictions on the 28th of March , ” he said .
At that stage around 70 people were in ICU .
“ We need to get evidence that we are as we say breaking the chains of transmission , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection , ” he added .
“ I don ’ t see the kinds of circumstances that will allow us to say certainly today that we think we will be in a position to recommend an easing of restrictions and when you look at other countries that are in a situation where they have had their experience of this disease earlier than us and they are starting to think of lifting restrictions , they are often doing so when they are at a level of experience of the disease where the incidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures of its impact are much lower than the figures I ’ m giving you here ” .
The advice to Government would be finalised at a further meeting on Friday morning , Dr Holohan said .
He also said there had been no reports in the State to date of people becoming reinfected with the virus .
Also on Wednesday a further nine deaths from Covid-19 were reported in Northern Ireland , bringing the total number of deaths there to 338 .
The figure does not include the number of people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospices which is expected to increase the total by at least one-third .
The North ’ s Department of Health also reported that 55 more people have tested positive for the virus bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,463 .
So far 24,359 people have been tested for the virus .
The figures come on a day when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the daily numbers of deaths , new cases and ICU patients associated with coronavirus suggest the conditions are not yet suitable to lift the restrictions on commercial and social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in an effort to stem the spread of the virus , also known as Covid-19 , were introduced on March 28th and are due to last until at least May 5th .
Meanwhile Dr Michael Ryan , executive director of the World Health Organisation ’ s health emergencies programme , says the proportion of people who have Covid-19 antibodies is low , which means there is a high chance that the disease will rebound , especially if lockdown measures were lifted too soon in the absence of testing and contact tracing .

The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) at its briefing on Wednesday evening.
There have now been 1,190 Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic with two of those who died in the age 15-24 year old age bracket.
NPHET also reported 376 new confirmed cases. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 20,253.
New figures presented at the briefing indicate seven out of every 10 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered from the disease.
READ MORE
By last last Saturday, 12,222 patients had recovered in the community - 64 per cent - while 1,164, or 6 per cent, were discharged from hospital.
An analysis of deaths shows 87 per cent had underlying conditions and 53 per cent of cases were in men. The median age of deaths was 83 and the mean age was 81.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he did not believe the circumstances were in place for an easing of restrictions.
Citing the almost 400 new cases reported on Wednesday, he said “the experience we’re having in the overall population is not quite at the level we’d like it to be” for restrictions to be loosened.
Dr Holohan said he did not anticipate any significant change in NPHET’s stance on the issue in the coming days, though he added there were still five or six days to go before the current restriction period ends and “we’re hoping we’ll see progress”.
An analysis of cases up to last Monday (19,723 cases), shows 58 per cent were female and 42 per cent were male, and the median age was 49 years.
A total of 2,669 cases (13 per cent) were hospitalised and of these, 355 were admitted to ICU.
The number of cases associated with healthcare workers now stands at 5,568.
Of the 356 admissions to ICU, 129 patients remain there while 173 have been discharged, and 54 patients have died.
Some 83 per cent of patients in ICU had underlying conditions and the median age was 60.
Clusters
There are now a total of 369 clusters of the disease in residential care settings, including 219 in nursing homes, NPHET reported.
Residential care settings account for 4,363 cases, of which 3,457 are in nursing homes.
There have been 697 deaths in residential care settings, comprising 547 laboratory-confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 150 probable/suspected cases.
In nursing homes alone, there have been 593 deaths, made up for 458 laboratory-confirmed cases and 135 probable/suspected ones.
Residential care settings account for 59 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths; nursing homes alone account for 50 per cent of deaths.
A census of deaths in residential care settings from the start of the year to April 19th revealed 586 Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes, 16 in disability centres and 14 in mental health units, according to Dr Kathleen MacLellan, assistant secretary of the Department of Health.
There were 616 virus-related deaths in these settings out of total deaths of 3,368 over the period.
“From the end of March we have seen an increase in deaths in this sector that can be attributed to Covid-19,” she said. Ireland is one of the few countries collecting and reporting data from long-term residential care settings since the start of the pandemic, according to Dr MacLellan.
NPHET will give further consideration to the issue of mask-wearing in the general community at its meeting on Friday, Dr Holohan said.
The change in case definition for GP referrals which came into force on Tuesday has led to an increase in referrals for testing, he added, “which is what we expected and wanted to see”.
Dr Holohan said about half of the new cases originated in nursing homes but others had occurred in the community. Levels of community transmission were too high and “we don’t have a good enough sense of where cases in the community are coming from”.
‘Breaking the chains’
Dr Holohan said if he was advising the Government today, he would say current restrictions on movement should not be lifted. He said there were still more than 100 people in intensive care units and hundreds more in hospital with Covid-19.
“The experience that we are having with the population in terms of overall disease pattern is not quite at the level we would like it to be. We have made great progress in terms of slowing the growth rate ... but we are still at a point where we have over a hundred people in intensive care units which is bigger than the number of people we had in intensive care units at the point at which we introduced the tighter restrictions on the 28th of March,” he said.
At that stage around 70 people were in ICU.
“We need to get evidence that we are as we say breaking the chains of transmission, we’re slowing down the spread of infection,” he added.
“I don’t see the kinds of circumstances that will allow us to say certainly today that we think we will be in a position to recommend an easing of restrictions and when you look at other countries that are in a situation where they have had their experience of this disease earlier than us and they are starting to think of lifting restrictions, they are often doing so when they are at a level of experience of the disease where the incidence of the disease in the population and the measures of its impact are much lower than the figures I’m giving you here”.
The advice to Government would be finalised at a further meeting on Friday morning, Dr Holohan said.
He also said there had been no reports in the State to date of people becoming reinfected with the virus.
Rebound
Also on Wednesday a further nine deaths from Covid-19 were reported in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number of deaths there to 338. The figure does not include the number of people who died in Northern Ireland care homes and hospices which is expected to increase the total by at least one-third.
The North’s Department of Health also reported that 55 more people have tested positive for the virus bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,463. So far 24,359 people have been tested for the virus.
The figures come on a day when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the daily numbers of deaths, new cases and ICU patients associated with coronavirus suggest the conditions are not yet suitable to lift the restrictions on commercial and social life.
Restrictions imposed by the Government in an effort to stem the spread of the virus, also known as Covid-19, were introduced on March 28th and are due to last until at least May 5th.
Meanwhile Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organisation’s health emergencies programme, says the proportion of people who have Covid-19 antibodies is low, which means there is a high chance that the disease will rebound, especially if lockdown measures were lifted too soon in the absence of testing and contact tracing.


theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Third-level researchers hunt Covid-19 solutions with €5m grant backing

Funding for 26 Covid-19 research projects following from “ hundreds of ideas ” by Ireland ’ s top scientists have been backed by the Government , as third-level institutions pivot researchers towards the virus and future pandemics .
The most advanced work will track Covid-19 genetics , better diagnostics , development of antiviral treatments and vaccines , healthcare , infection control , contact tracing , mental health and social distancing .
One project will track the so-called “ silent infection ” – asymptomatic spread of the Covid-19 virus in the community – while another will focus on the spread among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including apps will be investigated , along with online resources to support healthcare professionals and identify ways to improve pandemic communications .
Most third-level institutions are already making PPE for frontline health staff and helping to create a secure , reliable supply of high-quality reagents to enable large-scale testing .
One of five UCD-led projects is to develop and supply necessary reagents and materials for Sars-CoV-2 testing for hospitals in the Ireland East Hospital Group .
It was awarded €540,000 – the highest-funded project .
Awarding €5 million in grants , Minister for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid tribute to all researchers for coming up with projects so rapidly .
The research call-out was set up by funding agencies including the Health Research Board , Irish Research Council , Science Foundation Ireland , IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland .
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing ( Tilda ) will look at how Covid-19 has affected older people – the most at-risk group , said principal investigator Prof Rose Anne Kenny of Trinity College Dublin .
Researchers will focus on getting a better understanding of the links between coronavirus , gradual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by age and vaccinations , she said .
The restrictions had affected the elderly hugely , she went on , so Tilda will investigate the impact on mental and physical health : “ This is important if we are to understand and manage the collateral damage from Covid-19 , ” she said .
NUI Galway received backing for seven projects .
University president , Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh , said the projects will seek to address all of the challenges caused by the pandemic , including the economic and social ones .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as a society , we firstly address the current crisis and then look to the future .
We find ourselves having to reimagine our humanity as we face new times and new realities.
” Minister for Health Simon Harris said research and development was critical to supporting Ireland ’ s national action plan in response to Covid-19 and in navigating “ a way forward for individuals , communities and society as a whole ” .
He said he was committed to a coordinated and proactive approach to ensuring Covid patients “ across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new and emerging treatments as part of clinical trials ” .

Researcher Padraig Maher of the NUI Galway Inspire team demonstrates a new CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) hood developed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Funding for 26 Covid-19 research projects following from “hundreds of ideas” by Ireland’s top scientists have been backed by the Government, as third-level institutions pivot researchers towards the virus and future pandemics.
The most advanced work will track Covid-19 genetics, better diagnostics, development of antiviral treatments and vaccines, healthcare, infection control, contact tracing, mental health and social distancing.
One project will track the so-called “silent infection” – asymptomatic spread of the Covid-19 virus in the community – while another will focus on the spread among healthcare workers.
Use of digital technologies including apps will be investigated, along with online resources to support healthcare professionals and identify ways to improve pandemic communications.
READ MORE
Most third-level institutions are already making PPE for frontline health staff and helping to create a secure, reliable supply of high-quality reagents to enable large-scale testing.
Highest-funded project
One of five UCD-led projects is to develop and supply necessary reagents and materials for Sars-CoV-2 testing for hospitals in the Ireland East Hospital Group. It was awarded €540,000 – the highest-funded project.
Awarding €5 million in grants, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys paid tribute to all researchers for coming up with projects so rapidly.
The research call-out was set up by funding agencies including the Health Research Board, Irish Research Council, Science Foundation Ireland, IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda) will look at how Covid-19 has affected older people – the most at-risk group, said principal investigator Prof Rose Anne Kenny of Trinity College Dublin.
Researchers will focus on getting a better understanding of the links between coronavirus, gradual deterioration of the immune system brought on by age and vaccinations, she said.
‘Collateral damage’
The restrictions had affected the elderly hugely, she went on, so Tilda will investigate the impact on mental and physical health: “This is important if we are to understand and manage the collateral damage from Covid-19,” she said.
NUI Galway received backing for seven projects. University president, Prof Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said the projects will seek to address all of the challenges caused by the pandemic, including the economic and social ones.
He added: “It’s important that as a society, we firstly address the current crisis and then look to the future. We find ourselves having to reimagine our humanity as we face new times and new realities.”
Minister for Health Simon Harris said research and development was critical to supporting Ireland's national action plan in response to Covid-19 and in navigating "a way forward for individuals, communities and society as a whole".
He said he was committed to a coordinated and proactive approach to ensuring Covid patients “across all settings in Ireland have access to new and emerging treatments as part of clinical trials”.


theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Motorists driving at ‘extreme speeds’ on less-busy roads during Covid-19 crisis

Some motorists are driving at “ extreme speeds ” on Ireland ’ s less-busy roads during the coronavirus crisis , the State ’ s top traffic garda has warned , as new figures show that 17 people have been killed since the first restrictions in March .
Fifty-four people have been killed so far in 2020 , seven more than last year for the same period .
Seven deaths occurred after March 27th , when the country went into what is essentially a lockdown .
The number of pedestrian deaths so far this year has doubled to 16 over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these died following the closure of schools in mid-March .
“ Some drivers are driving at extreme speed whilst the roads are quieter , ” said Chief Superintendent Paul Cleary of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau .
“ For example a driver was recently arrested after travelling at 202km/h on the M1 motorway – this is completely irresponsible and a danger to all road users , ” he declared .
Meanwhile , drivers have been detected driving on 50km/h streets at “ what can only be described as motorway speeds ” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to keep distance from other walkers .
Despite the fall in traffic , he said : “ We still have concerns for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists , and we would appeal to motorists to reduce their speed .
Speed is a factor in up to one-third of road fatalities.
” Ireland ’ s roads death tally has , therefore , not fallen , despite the fact that traffic levels on most roads are a fraction of what they are during normal traffic periods .
Gardaí will up the number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bank holiday weekend , said Chief Superintendent Cleary , saying that gardaí are “ concerned ” about the rise in the numbers of under-the-influence drivers .
Condemning the behaviour , Minister for Transport , Tourism and Sport Shane Ross said : “ It is absolutely staggering that in this time of crisis and loss , there are people still driving under the influence of drink or drugs .
“ All drivers need to slow down and watch out for vulnerable road users .
There has been a worrying increase in pedestrian deaths this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cyclists to exercise care , ” he said .
Liz O ’ Donnell , chairwoman of the Road Safety Authority , said traffic is reduced , but “ everyone – motorists and walkers – must remember that [ the ] rules have not been suspended or changed ” .

Fifty-four people have been killed so far in 2020, seven more than last year for the same period. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Some motorists are driving at “extreme speeds” on Ireland’s less-busy roads during the coronavirus crisis, the State’s top traffic garda has warned, as new figures show that 17 people have been killed since the first restrictions in March.
Fifty-four people have been killed so far in 2020, seven more than last year for the same period. Seven deaths occurred after March 27th, when the country went into what is essentially a lockdown.
The number of pedestrian deaths so far this year has doubled to 16 over the same months in 2019. Six of these died following the closure of schools in mid-March.
"Some drivers are driving at extreme speed whilst the roads are quieter," said Chief Superintendent Paul Cleary of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau.
READ MORE
‘Irresponsible’
“For example a driver was recently arrested after travelling at 202km/h on the M1 motorway – this is completely irresponsible and a danger to all road users,” he declared.
Meanwhile, drivers have been detected driving on 50km/h streets at “what can only be described as motorway speeds”, despite the risks of pedestrians using roads to keep distance from other walkers.
Despite the fall in traffic, he said: “We still have concerns for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and we would appeal to motorists to reduce their speed. Speed is a factor in up to one-third of road fatalities.”
Ireland’s roads death tally has, therefore, not fallen, despite the fact that traffic levels on most roads are a fraction of what they are during normal traffic periods.
Gardaí will up the number of checkpoints in coming days and the bank holiday weekend, said Chief Superintendent Cleary, saying that gardaí are “concerned” about the rise in the numbers of under-the-influence drivers.
‘Absolutely staggering’
Condemning the behaviour, Minister for Transport,Tourism and Sport Shane Ross said: "It is absolutely staggering that in this time of crisis and loss, there are people still driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
“All drivers need to slow down and watch out for vulnerable road users. There has been a worrying increase in pedestrian deaths this year. I would also urge pedestrians and cyclists to exercise care,” he said.
Liz O'Donnell, chairwoman of the Road Safety Authority, said traffic is reduced, but "everyone – motorists and walkers – must remember that [the] rules have not been suspended or changed".


theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Skipper of trawler detained off West Cork due in court on Friday

The skipper of a French-registered trawler is scheduled to appear in court in West Cork on Friday after his vessel was detained by the Naval Service for an alleged breach of fishing regulations .
The Naval Service fishery patrol vessel , LÉ George Bernard Shaw , detained the trawler , Miss Jacqueline II , some 290km ( 180 miles ) west of Mizen Head in West Cork early on Sunday morning for alleged logbook offences .
The trawler was ordered to lift her lines and was escorted to Castletownbere in West Cork , where she arrived early on Wednesday morning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities then obtained a 48-hour detention order in respect of the trawler , and the skipper is expected to appear at Bandon District Court on Friday at 10.30am to answer the charges .
The 32-metre Miss Jacqueline II is Spanish-owned and fishes out of La Coruna in Galicia , northern Spain , even though it is registered in Bayonne in southwest France .
The steel-hulled vessel was built in St Malo in Brittany in 1962 but was bought by Spanish owners in 1997 and converted for use as a long liner to fish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Forces Press Office , Sunday ’ s detention of the French-registered trawler is the fourth such detention by Naval Service fishery patrol vessels this year .

The LÉ George Bernard Shaw (above), detained a trawler, Miss Jacqueline II, some 290km west of Mizen Head in West Cork early on Sunday morning. File photograph: Military.ie
The skipper of a French-registered trawler is scheduled to appear in court in West Cork on Friday after his vessel was detained by the Naval Service for an alleged breach of fishing regulations.
The Naval Service fishery patrol vessel, LÉ George Bernard Shaw, detained the trawler, Miss Jacqueline II, some 290km (180 miles) west of Mizen Head in West Cork early on Sunday morning for alleged logbook offences.
The trawler was ordered to lift her lines and was escorted to Castletownbere in West Cork, where she arrived early on Wednesday morning and moored at the quayside.
48-hour detention order
The authorities then obtained a 48-hour detention order in respect of the trawler, and the skipper is expected to appear at Bandon District Court on Friday at 10.30am to answer the charges.
READ MORE
The 32-metre Miss Jacqueline II is Spanish-owned and fishes out of La Coruna in Galicia, northern Spain, even though it is registered in Bayonne in southwest France.
The steel-hulled vessel was built in St Malo in Brittany in 1962 but was bought by Spanish owners in 1997 and converted for use as a long liner to fish for hake.
According to the Defence Forces Press Office, Sunday’s detention of the French-registered trawler is the fourth such detention by Naval Service fishery patrol vessels this year.


theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Hundreds take to a Zoom rally in support of Debenhams workers

Almost 500 people took part in what is claimed to have been Ireland ’ s first virtual protest , to call for “ Justice for Debenhams workers ” , on Wednesday .
Hosted by Mandate trade union and the online campaigning organisation Uplift , the “ rally ’ ’ took place on Zoom and followed a number of small protests outside the now closed-down Debenhams shops across the State .
Debenhams Retail Ireland ( DRI ) , which employed 957 people in its 11 branches , went into liquidation earlier this month , having closed initially in response to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been told by senior management the stores would reopen , only to be told by email a week later the stores would remain closed .
About 30 people , mostly women , staged a socially-distant protest outside the main Dublin branch on Henry Street .
A previous protest was prevented from continuing last week by gardaí who said it was “ non-essential ” .
On Wednesday the workers were allowed to stand two metres apart for about 20 minutes as gardaí looked on .
Among their demands are that DRI “ fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as many jobs as possible be saved and if they can not be saved , that the company honour redundancy agreements reached with Mandate in recent years .
Maureen Carroll ( 52 ) from Goatstown , who worked for the company for 16 years , said , “ I gave a thousand per cent to that company .
I loved that job .
I really loved it .
I ’ ve never done a protest before .
I couldn ’ t come last week because I was too broken…It ’ s an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they did , by a generic email .
When I was reading it I thought I was reading it wrong .
My brother passed away 10 years ago and it was like the same blow .
It was like a death.
” Shop steward , Jane Crowe , said the workers did not believe the British company really tried to save the Irish operation .
“ They told us things were fine and a week later they just went straight into liquidation .
We all got a generic email to tell us , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So service , loyalty , nothing had anything to do with it .
I am working with Debenhams 24 years .
“ We want the Government to do something , to introduce something that will stop other companies doing this – going into liquidation and using Covid-19 as an excuse.
” Debenhams has been joined in recent weeks by other British retailers who have announced they will not reopen after the coronavirus crisis , including Warehouse , Oasis and Laura Ashley .
A number of placards criticised Bank of Ireland , which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company , calling on it to support their demands .
A spokesman for bank the said : “ As a long-term lender to Debenhams we were very disappointed that they had to suspend trading in Republic of Ireland stores…We are a minority lender to Debenhams and hold a small ( about five per cent ) shareholding as part of a 2019 new money debt restructuring to support the business.
” A spokeswoman for Debenhams Retail Ireland said : “ In relation to the protests that have taken place today we note the business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employees .
DRI understands this is a very difficult time for its dedicated employees and greatly regrets having had to seek liquidation .
”

A small number of the hundreds of participants who joined an E Rally in support of the Debenhams protesters on Wednesday. Photograph: RollingNews.ie
Almost 500 people took part in what is claimed to have been Ireland's first virtual protest, to call for "Justice for Debenhams workers", on Wednesday.
Hosted by Mandate trade union and the online campaigning organisation Uplift, the "rally'' took place on Zoom and followed a number of small protests outside the now closed-down Debenhams shops across the State.
Debenhams Retail Ireland (DRI), which employed 957 people in its 11 branches, went into liquidation earlier this month, having closed initially in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Former employees say they had been told by senior management the stores would reopen, only to be told by email a week later the stores would remain closed.
About 30 people, mostly women, staged a socially-distant protest outside the main Dublin branch on Henry Street. A previous protest was prevented from continuing last week by gardaí who said it was “non-essential”. On Wednesday the workers were allowed to stand two metres apart for about 20 minutes as gardaí looked on.
READ MORE
Among their demands are that DRI “fully explore” alternatives to closing completely, that as many jobs as possible be saved and if they cannot be saved, that the company honour redundancy agreements reached with Mandate in recent years.
Maureen Carroll (52) from Goatstown, who worked for the company for 16 years, said, "I gave a thousand per cent to that company. I loved that job. I really loved it. I've never done a protest before. I couldn't come last week because I was too broken…It's an awful shock to all of us what they did, by a generic email. When I was reading it I thought I was reading it wrong. My brother passed away 10 years ago and it was like the same blow. It was like a death."
Shop steward, Jane Crowe, said the workers did not believe the British company really tried to save the Irish operation.
“They told us things were fine and a week later they just went straight into liquidation. We all got a generic email to tell us, ‘Your job is gone’. So service, loyalty, nothing had anything to do with it. I am working with Debenhams 24 years.
“We want the Government to do something, to introduce something that will stop other companies doing this – going into liquidation and using Covid-19 as an excuse.”
Debenhams has been joined in recent weeks by other British retailers who have announced they will not reopen after the coronavirus crisis, including Warehouse, Oasis and Laura Ashley.
A number of placards criticised Bank of Ireland, which has a five per cent stake in the company, calling on it to support their demands.
A spokesman for bank the said: “As a long-term lender to Debenhams we were very disappointed that they had to suspend trading in Republic of Ireland stores…We are a minority lender to Debenhams and hold a small (about five per cent) shareholding as part of a 2019 new money debt restructuring to support the business.”
A spokeswoman for Debenhams Retail Ireland said: “In relation to the protests that have taken place today we note the business is currently in a consultation process with employees. DRI understands this is a very difficult time for its dedicated employees and greatly regrets having had to seek liquidation.”


theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines recalled over fire risk concerns

Whirlpool has recalled more Irish-sold Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines over fire risk concerns – the third time Whirlpool has done so in the last few months .
Following new safety checks , a further 21 models were added to the list of machines in question .
Customers are asked to stop using any of them immediately .
People who had already checked their machine will need to do so again , given the expansion of the affected models .
Whirlpool branded appliances are not affected .
All affected owners are entitled to a free replacement , or free repairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line with social distancing guidelines , said Whirlpool .
All engineers and delivery teams are equipped with PPE including face masks , gloves and hand sanitiser .
Last year , Whirlpool said 11,000 Irish customers would be affected .
The additions to the recall list will add to that number .
“ With people spending more time at home under the current social distancing measures , it ’ s more important than ever that this safety issue is tackled swiftly , ” said company spokesman Jeff Noel .
Apologising for the “ concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whirlpool is taking action because “ people ’ s safety is our top priority ” .
Consumer magazine Which ?
expressed concerns at the numbers of affected machines in Ireland and the UK : “ Whirlpool customers are being drip fed information and serious questions need to be asked about why it took almost five months for this to come to light , ” said the magazine ’ s Sue Davies .

Following new safety checks, a further 21 models were added to the list of machines at risk. Photograph: iStock
Whirlpool has recalled more Irish-sold Indesit and Hotpoint washing machines over fire risk concerns – the third time Whirlpool has done so in the last few months.
Following new safety checks, a further 21 models were added to the list of machines in question. Customers are asked to stop using any of them immediately.
People who had already checked their machine will need to do so again, given the expansion of the affected models. Whirlpool branded appliances are not affected.
All affected owners are entitled to a free replacement, or free repairs. All repairs will be done in line with social distancing guidelines, said Whirlpool.
READ MORE
All engineers and delivery teams are equipped with PPE including face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser. Last year, Whirlpool said 11,000 Irish customers would be affected. The additions to the recall list will add to that number.
"With people spending more time at home under the current social distancing measures, it's more important than ever that this safety issue is tackled swiftly," said company spokesman Jeff Noel.
Apologising for the “concern and inconvenience” caused, he said Whirlpool is taking action because “people’s safety is our top priority”.
Consumer magazine Which? expressed concerns at the numbers of affected machines in Ireland and the UK: " Whirlpool customers are being drip fed information and serious questions need to be asked about why it took almost five months for this to come to light," said the magazine's Sue Davies.


theirishtimes--2020-04-29--Harris took harder stance than predecessors when sanctioning gardaí – Gsoc

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has taken a harder approach than his predecessors when sanctioning members of the Garda who breach discipline , data published by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission ( Gsoc ) shows .
Mr Harris has opted to fine gardaí or reduce their pay by up to four weeks salary far more often rather than offering them “ advice ” , which had been a much more common sanction before he took office , the data indicates .
Last year was Mr Harris ’ s first full year as commissioner in charge of the Garda Síochána as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force in September 2018 .
Separately , Gsoc , which accepts protected disclosures from members of the Garda , received 31 last year for investigation .
Gsoc also investigates complaints about Garda members made by members of the public , which can include complaints of a disciplinary nature or those that are more serious and are criminal in nature .
Other complaints , below the level of disciplinary or criminal , can include issues such as rudeness by Garda members and these are often resolved informally .
However , when Gsoc sends the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garda commissioner , it is down to the commissioner to decide if the proven facts amount to a breach of discipline .
Mr Harris decided last year that 96 such cases were breaches of discipline , up from 74 in 2018 and from 66 in 2017 .
The significant increase last year was recorded despite complaints to Gsoc falling by almost 9 per cent .
The softest sanction a Garda commissioner can impose on a Garda member who is found to have breached the force ’ s disciplinary regulations is “ advice ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member in question about how to improve their conduct .
This softest option has generally been used by Garda commissioners more than any other penalty when sanctioning Garda members .
About half of all disciplinary breaches were sanctioned with “ advice ” in 2017 and 2018 .
However , during Mr Harris ’ s first full year in charge , last year , he used advice as a sanction in only one in five cases .
He has opted more often for the more serious sanction of fining the Garda members or reducing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of the 96 sanctions imposed by Mr Harris for disciplinary breaches last year , fines or reductions in salary of up to four weeks were imposed in 49 cases , just over half of all cases .
In 2018 one in four cases was dealt with by way of fine or reduction in pay and in 2017 just over one in four cases was dealt with in that way .
Gsoc ’ s annual report for 2019 , published on Tuesday , states some 1,756 complaints were made to it last in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contain more than one allegation ) .
In 28 per cent of cases a neglect of duty on the part of Garda member was alleged , such as a failure to take an action that a member of the public would have expected .
Some 18 per cent related to non-fatal offences , which involve allegations of criminal conduct including assaults .
Another 18 per cent related to allegations that named Garda members had abused their authority , such as using excess force , and 10 per cent of cases related to discourtesy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As well as the 96 cases resulting in disciplinary sanctions imposed by Mr Harris , Gsoc investigators sent 23 files to the DPP for possible criminal charges .
In five of those cases decisions were taken to prosecute Garda members , there were 14 directions not to prosecute and four decisions from the DPP were pending .
The cases considered by the DPP include assaults , careless driving , disclosing information , thefts and frauds .
On 40 occasions last year Gsoc received notifications from the Garda that people had died or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time they were dealing with members of the force .
All such cases must , by law , be investigated by Gsoc .
Of the notifications received last year , 16 involved fatalities and 24 related to road traffic crashes .

Of the 96 sanctions imposed by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for disciplinary breaches last year, fines or reductions in salary of up to four weeks were imposed in 49 cases. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has taken a harder approach than his predecessors when sanctioning members of the Garda who breach discipline, data published by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) shows.
Mr Harris has opted to fine gardaí or reduce their pay by up to four weeks salary far more often rather than offering them “advice”, which had been a much more common sanction before he took office, the data indicates.
Last year was Mr Harris’s first full year as commissioner in charge of the Garda Síochána as he took on the top job in the force in September 2018.
Separately, Gsoc, which accepts protected disclosures from members of the Garda, received 31 last year for investigation.
READ MORE
Gsoc also investigates complaints about Garda members made by members of the public, which can include complaints of a disciplinary nature or those that are more serious and are criminal in nature. Other complaints, below the level of disciplinary or criminal, can include issues such as rudeness by Garda members and these are often resolved informally.
However, when Gsoc sends the outcome of a disciplinary inquiry to the Garda commissioner, it is down to the commissioner to decide if the proven facts amount to a breach of discipline.
Mr Harris decided last year that 96 such cases were breaches of discipline, up from 74 in 2018 and from 66 in 2017. The significant increase last year was recorded despite complaints to Gsoc falling by almost 9 per cent.
The softest sanction a Garda commissioner can impose on a Garda member who is found to have breached the force’s disciplinary regulations is “advice”. This usually involves advising the Garda member in question about how to improve their conduct.
This softest option has generally been used by Garda commissioners more than any other penalty when sanctioning Garda members. About half of all disciplinary breaches were sanctioned with “advice” in 2017 and 2018.
However, during Mr Harris’s first full year in charge, last year, he used advice as a sanction in only one in five cases.
He has opted more often for the more serious sanction of fining the Garda members or reducing their salary by up to four weeks.
Of the 96 sanctions imposed by Mr Harris for disciplinary breaches last year, fines or reductions in salary of up to four weeks were imposed in 49 cases, just over half of all cases. In 2018 one in four cases was dealt with by way of fine or reduction in pay and in 2017 just over one in four cases was dealt with in that way.
Gsoc’s annual report for 2019, published on Tuesday, states some 1,756 complaints were made to it last in respect of 2,885 allegations (many complaints contain more than one allegation).
In 28 per cent of cases a neglect of duty on the part of Garda member was alleged, such as a failure to take an action that a member of the public would have expected. Some 18 per cent related to non-fatal offences, which involve allegations of criminal conduct including assaults. Another 18 per cent related to allegations that named Garda members had abused their authority, such as using excess force, and 10 per cent of cases related to discourtesy on the part of a Garda member.
As well as the 96 cases resulting in disciplinary sanctions imposed by Mr Harris, Gsoc investigators sent 23 files to the DPP for possible criminal charges. In five of those cases decisions were taken to prosecute Garda members, there were 14 directions not to prosecute and four decisions from the DPP were pending. The cases considered by the DPP include assaults, careless driving, disclosing information, thefts and frauds.
On 40 occasions last year Gsoc received notifications from the Garda that people had died or been seriously injured at or around the time they were dealing with members of the force. All such cases must, by law, be investigated by Gsoc. Of the notifications received last year, 16 involved fatalities and 24 related to road traffic crashes.


theirishtimes--2020-04-30--Monaghan man facing 39 counts of manslaughter refused bail by High Court

A Monaghan haulier alleged to be “ the ringleader ” and “ chief organiser ” of an organised criminal group who trafficked 39 migrants found dead in a lorry container in Essex last year has been refused bail by the High Court pending an extradition hearing .
The court was told at Wednesday ’ s bail hearing that Ronan Hughes is alleged to have “ organised , paid for the travel and controlled the drivers who collected the migrants.
” Gardaí gave evidence that Mr Hughes has “ huge connections ” and familiarity with various ports throughout Europe and had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the appropriate time ” .
Evidence was also given at the hearing that €200,000 had been frozen in 33 bank accounts linked to Mr Hughes and his family and that the accused had last year bought a 2019 BMW X5 , valued at €108,000 , which has since been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau ( CAB ) .
Mr Hughes ( 40 ) , of Leitrim , Silverstream , Tyholland , Co Monaghan is wanted by UK authorities to face 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to assist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Mr Justice Paul Burns said that the prosecution had met the burden of proof and Mr Hughes was a probable flight risk if bail was granted .
“ There is a very serious risk of him absconding , ” he said .
The High Court judge said unfortunately there were no conditions that could allay the court ’ s concerns .
Mr Justice Burns said the evidence that Mr Hughes gave on Wednesday was unconvincing and lacking in credibility .
“ Even if he had not given evidence I would have refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Mr Justice Burns remanded Mr Hughes in custody to May 15th , when the full hearing of his extradition to the UK will take place .
The haulier was joined by video-link from Cloverhill Prison on Thursday and wore a face mask for the short hearing .
He is the second man from Northern Ireland to be arrested here on a European Arrest Warrant ( EAW ) as part of the Essex police investigation .
Mr Hughes , who owns a haulage firm , was arrested on the evening of April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following the endorsement of a EAW issued by the police in Essex .
Mr Hughes and his younger brother Christopher ( 34 ) have been wanted in connection with the deaths since the beginning of the investigation , with Essex Police making an extraordinary live appeal last November for the siblings to hand themselves in .
Their trucking firm is based in Tyholland , about 7km from the Armagh border .
The eight women and 31 men had arrived in England last October on a ferry from Zeebrugge in Belgium .
The youngest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 15 .
At Wednesday ’ s bail hearing , Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit told counsel for the State Ronan Kennedy SC that gardaí were strongly objecting to bail due to the seriousness of the charges and there were no conditions upon which bail could be granted that would allay concerns .
Reading from the warrant , Det Sgt Kirwan said it is alleged that Mr Hughes had unlawfully killed 39 Vietnamese nationals who were found dead in the back of trailer in UK between October 22nd and 24th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrants had been brought into the UK illegally by Mr Hughes and his co-conspirators .
Mr Hughes , it is alleged , had also conspired with others to facilitate the illegal entry of people including the 39 deceased persons into the UK between May 1st , 2018 and October 24th , 2019 .
Migrants were allegedly smuggled into the UK from Belgium in commercial trailers owned or operated by Mr Hughes , said Det Sgt Kirwan .
He said it was alleged that “ Mr Hughes organised , paid for the travel and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Continuing to read from the warrant , Det Sgt Kirwan said : “ On October 15th 2019 [ Ronan ] Hughes arranged for his driver Maurice Robinson to deliver trailer number GTR128D to Mr Eamon Harrison in France .
On October 16th , 2019 Hughes travelled to Essex .
The witness said that it was alleged that Mr Hughes had falsely declared that the trailer was carrying a load of biscuits .
Mr Hughes had “ a serious case to answer ” in the UK and it was also alleged that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the organised criminal group involved in bringing illegal migrants into the UK .
Essex police said this group was organised for the purposes of financial gain , he explained , adding that “ very large sums ” of money were involved in the business .
Det Sgt Kirwan said Mr Hughes faced a life sentence in prison if convicted of the offences and he had the means and ability to flee at the appropriate time .
He had been identified by Essex police as the organiser and there was extensive phone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Mr Hughes has previous convictions in this jurisdiction and the UK for road traffic offences and smuggling convictions .
Mr Hughes was sentenced to 30 months in prison for evading nearly £1 million pounds in excise duty for smuggling five million cigarettes into the UK in 2009 , he said .
He described Mr Hughes as the alleged “ ringleader ” , who had allegedly made a substantial amount of money from this illegal activity .
Det Sgt Kirwan pointed out that €200,000 had been frozen in 33 bank accounts linked to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owns a time-share in a villa in Florida and has an address in Armagh , the court heard .
Det Sgt Kirwan said Mr Hughes has “ huge connections ” throughout Europe , has many trailer units registered to him and his haulage business is registered in Bulgaria .
“ Given the nature of his work , he has great familiarity with various ports throughout Europe and how to exit and enter them and he has the wherewithal to flee the jurisdiction at the appropriate time , ” he indicated .
The court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BMW X5 valued at €108,000 last year , which is now in possession of the Criminal Assets Bureau ( CAB ) .
Det Sgt Kirwan indicated that not all vehicles associated with Mr Hughes had been located by CAB and it was believed that vehicles of value were removed from his yard at Tyholland on October 24th , 2019 , when the bodies of the migrants were discovered .
Furthermore , Det Sgt Kirwan said Mr Hughes had the ability to abscond and it was the belief that should the High Court grant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would not present himself to be handed over to the UK authorities .
Last week , Det Sgt Jim Kirwan told Mr Kennedy that he arrested Mr Hughes as part of a planned operation at 5.15pm on April 20th at his home in Leitrim , Silverstream , Tyholland , Co Monaghan on foot of the warrant and cautioned him .
Eamon Ronald Harrison ( 22 ) , of Mayobridge , Co Down has already appeared in court here and has been granted leave to appeal his pending extradition to the UK in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is wanted to face 39 counts of manslaughter and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration .
Last Friday , the Court of Appeal was told by Mr Kennedy that a charge of conspiracy to commit human trafficking under the UK ’ s Modern Slavery Act had been withdrawn by UK authorities against Mr Harrison .
The court heard that this would shorten the appeal hearing on May 7th .
It is alleged that Mr Harrison delivered the trailer , in which the bodies of eight females and 31 males were found in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on October 23rd last , to a Belgian port before its onward journey to Britain .
The cargo was recorded as “ biscuits ” and the migrants died from a lack of oxygen between 8pm and 10pm after they had entered UK territorial waters .
Earlier this month Maurice Robinson ( 25 ) , of Craigavon , Co Armagh , admitted 39 counts of manslaughter at the Old Bailey .
He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property .
He denied a further charge of transferring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a later date .
The High Court in Dublin has heard that the sealed refrigeration unit was not turned on and that the people inside died from oxygen starvation .
Temperatures inside the unit rose to 38.5 degrees before it “ steadily reduced ” , and police discovered “ bloody hand prints ” inside .

A prison service van arriving at Dublin’s Criminal Courts of Justice carrying Ronan Hughes to a hearing earlier this month after he was arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Reuters
A Monaghan haulier alleged to be “the ringleader” and “chief organiser” of an organised crime group who trafficked 39 migrants found dead in a lorry container in Essex last year has been refused bail by the High Court pending an extradition hearing.
The deaths of the migrants hidden in the refrigerated trailer, inside which police found bloody handprints, was a “tragedy which rightly attracted public revulsion, outrage and anger”, Mr Justice Paul Burns said on Thursday.
The court was told at Wednesday's bail hearing that Ronan Hughes is alleged to have "organised, paid for the travel and controlled the drivers who collected the migrants." Gardaí gave evidence that Mr Hughes has "huge connections" and familiarity with various ports throughout Europe and had the "wherewithal to flee the jurisdiction at the appropriate time".
Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit. Photograph: Collins Courts
Evidence was also given at the hearing that €200,000 had been frozen in 33 bank accounts linked to Mr Hughes and his family and that the accused had last year bought a 2019 BMW X5, valued at €108,000, which has since been seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB).
READ MORE
Mr Hughes (40), of Leitrim, Silverstream, Tyholland, Co Monaghan is wanted by UK authorities to face 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration.
Returning judgment on the bail application on Thursday, Mr Justice Burns said the alleged details of the case made out against Mr Hughes indicate he had carried out a “controlling role” in the illegal operation, which had resulted in the tragic death of the Vietnamese nationals.
The High Court judge said that a person awaiting trial has a presumption of entitlement to bail unless the prosecution fails to satisfy the court to the standard of proof required. Furthermore, the State’s objections must be satisfied by cogent evidence, he said.
The prosecution does not have to prove Mr Hughes will abscond as a matter of certainty but rather they must satisfy the court that the risk of him absconding is not a possible risk but a probable one, he explained.
The judge said the deaths of the 39 migrants was a tragedy which rightly attracted public revulsion, outrage and anger. However, the seriousness of the offences cannot automatically disentitle a person to bail, he added.
Referring to Mr Hughes, Mr Justice Burns said that undoubtedly he faced extremely serious charges and he could expect to receive a very significant custodial sentence if he is convicted of the offences. The maximum sentence for manslaughter in the UK is life imprisonment, he indicated. “It’s common sense that the greater the potential sentence, the greater the incentive to abscond,” he said.
The case against Mr Hughes appears to be “a strong one”, said the judge, albeit that it has not yet been subject to challenge through a trial. The judge noted that the Minister for Justice had placed emphasis on the fact that Mr Hughes operates an international haulage business with extensive contacts abroad, has a detailed knowledge of ports, a history of smuggling and access to extensive funds.
Counsel for the respondent had relied on the fact that he had not gone into hiding prior to his arrest, his assets were frozen, he had significant ties in this jurisdiction, had no history of taking bench warrants and previously stood trial when he was prosecuted in the UK, he said.
However, Mr Justice Burns emphasised Mr Hughes has significant ties outside the jurisdiction, operates an international haulage business for many years, travels extensively and has a business registered in Bulgaria. The judge said it was difficult to disagree with Det Sgt Jim Kirwan’s evidence that Mr Hughes would have knowledge to flee through a port without the law knowing and pointed to the fact that the ports were still open despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
He took into account that Mr Hughes has access to considerable funds and said he may still do so as the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) investigation is ongoing. He uses a Northern Ireland driving licence and did not give any convincing explanation for this, he said.
Mr Hughes had not sought to abscond the jurisdiction since the date of the alleged offences and his recent arrest, and this must stand to his credit, observed the judge.
In summary, Mr Justice Burns said there was a risk of absconding in every case, which runs from very low to very high. He said he was satisfied that the prosecution had met the burden of proof required. Mr Hughes was a probable flight risk if bail was granted and there was a very serious risk of him absconding, he said.
He described Mr Hughes’s evidence as unconvincing and lacking in credibility and in particular he noted Mr Hughes’s lack of knowledge concerning his business affairs, the previous movement of vehicles from his yard at Tyholland on October 24th, 2019 and the fact his driver’s licence is registered to an address in Northern Ireland. “Even if he had not given evidence I would have refused bail in this matter,” he said.
Mr Justice Burns remanded Mr Hughes in custody to May 15th, when the full hearing of his extradition to the UK will take place.
The haulier was joined by video-link from Cloverhill Prison on Thursday and wore a face mask for the short hearing. He is the second man from Northern Ireland to be arrested here on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) as part of the Essex police investigation.
Mr Hughes, who owns a haulage firm, was arrested on the evening of April 20th at his home in Co Monaghan following the endorsement of a EAW issued by the police in Essex.


theirishtimes--2020-04-30--Ministers will not be taking Covid-19 pay cut, Donohoe says

Government Minsters will not be taking a Covid-19 pay cut , the Minster for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said .
Mr Donohue said “ neither I nor any of my colleagues have experienced the wage increases that others have , ” and that he has no plans “ to implement any further changes in that area ” .
Mr Donohoe also said that rebuilding Ireland ’ s economy after the coronavirus pandemic will “ take time and involve choices.
” Speaking on Newstalk ’ s Pat Kenny show , Mr Donohoe said things may become clearer next week as exchequer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commenting on research from Chambers Ireland which suggests 85 per cent of businesses have closed to some degree as a result of the coronavirus lockdown , Mr Donohoe said : “ We have very large parts of our economy that have either went into a form of stasis or indeed have shut down because of where we are with Covid-19 ” .
“ However , what I should emphasise is what is so different to where we were in recent years , is while our economy has unfortunately changed very quickly over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done that because of the public health choice that we have made as opposed to economic issues .
“ And what that does mean is , as we change our guidance about public health , we will be able to , over time , make positive economic changes as well .
We have been very successful now in recent weeks in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 within communities and within the workplace.
” The Minister said both of these elements combined give the country a foundating for rebuilding “ not only the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy of our country - which I ’ m confident that we will do , even though I know it will take time to do and it will involve choices.
” On Wednesday night , a further 376 cases were reported , more than half of which related to nursing homes .
The total number of confirmed cases has now exceeded the 20,000 mark , and stands at 20,253 .
The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team at its briefing on Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic to 1,190 in the Republic .
Mr Donohoe said that April ’ s exchequer returns will be published next week and would give greater understanding of the impact of coronavirus on tax revenue .
“ We didn ’ t get a really clear picture of that in March , because it was looking back over a period of in which the disease had not developed in the way it now has .
There is much to be concerned about in terms of where we are with falling tax revenue , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be spent quickly .
“ I have to acknowledge that the demands on tax revenues that are going down are growing and growing .
But while there is much to be concerned about , there ’ s an equal amount to be confident and positive about.
” Mr Donohoe said there are still many people at work who are generating tax revenue that will allow the Government to spend money .
When asked about the Covid-19 payment and wage subsidy schemes , Mr Donohoe replied : “ We can not sustain this indefinitely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between €200 million and 400 million per week .
And what I will do now in the coming weeks , is I will explain the future of a scheme like that .
Mr Donohoe said turning off the scheme abruptly would “ undo much of the good work that we ’ ve put in place ” .
He said he hopes the Government will be in a position to give clarity about “ a roadmap ” to reopening parts of the economy after Friday ’ s Cabinet meeting .

Paschal Donohoe said that rebuilding Ireland’s economy after the coronavirus pandemic will ‘take time and involve choices’. Photograph: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland/PA
Government Minsters will not be taking a Covid-19 pay cut, the Minster for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said.
Mr Donohue said “neither I nor any of my colleagues have experienced the wage increases that others have,” and that he has no plans “to implement any further changes in that area”.
Mr Donohoe also said that rebuilding Ireland’s economy after the coronavirus pandemic will “take time and involve choices.”
Speaking on Newstalk's Pat Kenny show, Mr Donohoe said things may become clearer next week as exchequer returns for April will be published.
READ MORE
Commenting on research from Chambers Ireland which suggests 85 per cent of businesses have closed to some degree as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, Mr Donohoe said: "We have very large parts of our economy that have either went into a form of stasis or indeed have shut down because of where we are with Covid-19".
“However, what I should emphasise is what is so different to where we were in recent years, is while our economy has unfortunately changed very quickly over a short period of time, it has done that because of the public health choice that we have made as opposed to economic issues.
“And what that does mean is, as we change our guidance about public health, we will be able to, over time, make positive economic changes as well. We have been very successful now in recent weeks in reducing the transmission of Covid-19 within communities and within the workplace.”
The Minister said both of these elements combined give the country a foundating for rebuilding “ not only the public health of Ireland, but also the economy of our country - which I’m confident that we will do, even though I know it will take time to do and it will involve choices.”
On Wednesday night, a further 376 cases were reported, more than half of which related to nursing homes. The total number of confirmed cases has now exceeded the 20,000 mark, and stands at 20,253.
The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team at its briefing on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll in the pandemic to 1,190 in the Republic.
Mr Donohoe said that April’s exchequer returns will be published next week
and would give greater understanding of the impact of coronavirus on tax revenue.
“We didn’t get a really clear picture of that in March, because it was looking back over a period of in which the disease had not developed in the way it now has. There is much to be concerned about in terms of where we are with falling tax revenue, and the need for additional public money to be spent quickly.
“I have to acknowledge that the demands on tax revenues that are going down are growing and growing. But while there is much to be concerned about, there’s an equal amount to be confident and positive about.”
Mr Donohoe said there are still many people at work who are generating tax revenue that will allow the Government to spend money.
When asked about the Covid-19 payment and wage subsidy schemes, Mr Donohoe replied: “We cannot sustain this indefinitely - these are interventions that are costing between €200 million and 400 million per week. And what I will do now in the coming weeks, is I will explain the future of a scheme like that.
Mr Donohoe said turning off the scheme abruptly would “undo much of the good work that we’ve put in place”.
He said he hopes the Government will be in a position to give clarity about “a roadmap” to reopening parts of the economy after Friday’s Cabinet meeting.


theirishtimes--2020-04-30--Who are the NPHET members overseeing Ireland’s response to Covid-19?

The National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) is expected to sign off on a final version of the plan to ease Ireland ’ s Covid-19 restrictions at a meeting on Friday , before it is sent to Cabinet for consideration .
The number of new cases of Covid-19 reported daily will have to move in a consistent downward trajectory before any substantial lifting of restrictions will be considered , Opposition party leaders were told in the briefing by the public health officials on Wednesday .
NPHET is the body of medical experts and health service chiefs which has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advising the Government on steps it should take to navigate through the current coronavirus pandemic .
National Public HealthEmergency Teams have been established in recent years in response to public health threats such as H1N1 ( swine flu ) and Carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales ( CPE ) .
The NPHET for Covid-19 was established on 27th January 2020 in the Department of Health and is chaired by the State ’ s chief medical officer , Dr Tony Holohan .
The members of the NPHET are as follows : Dr Tony Holohan , chief medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prof Colm Bergin , infectious diseases consultant at St James ’ s Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin .
Dr Eibhlin Connolly , deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health .
Tracey Conroy , assistant secretary in the acute hospitals division of the Department of Health .
Dr Cillian de Gascun , director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD .
Colm Desmond , assistant secretary for corporate legislation , mental health , drugs policy and food safety division in the Department of Health .
Dr Lorraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protection in the HPSC .
Dr Mary Favier , president of the Irish College of General Practitioners .
Dr Ronan Glynn , deputy chief medical officer in the Department of Health .
Fergal Goodman , assistant secretary in the primary care division in the Department of Health .
Marita Kinsella , director of the national patient safety office in the Department of Health .
Prof Philip Nolan , chair of Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group and president of Maynooth University .
Kate O ’ Flaherty , head of health and wellbeing at Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flanagan , special adviser to NPHET at Department of Health .
Dr Michael Power , national clinical lead of HSE critical care programme and consultant in intensive care medicine at Beaumont Hospital .
Dr Máirín Ryan , deputy chief executive and director of health technology assessment at Hiqa .
Deirdre Watters , head of communications at Department of Health .

Dr Tony Holohan, chair of NPHET, delives a media briefing in the Department of Health. Photograph: Crispin Rodwel/The Irish Times
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is expected to sign off on a final version of the plan to ease Ireland's Covid-19 restrictions at a meeting on Friday, before it is sent to Cabinet for consideration.
The number of new cases of Covid-19 reported daily will have to move in a consistent downward trajectory before any substantial lifting of restrictions will be considered, Opposition party leaders were told in the briefing by the public health officials on Wednesday.
NPHET is the body of medical experts and health service chiefs which has been overseeing the response to Covid-19 and advising the Government on steps it should take to navigate through the current coronavirus pandemic. National Public HealthEmergency Teams have been established in recent years in response to public health threats such as H1N1 (swine flu) and Carbapenemase producing Enterobacterales (CPE).
The NPHET for Covid-19 was established on 27th January 2020 in the Department of Health and is chaired by the State's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan.
READ MORE
The members of the NPHET are as follows:
Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer at the Department of Health.
Prof Colm Bergin, infectious diseases consultant at St James's Hospital and Professor of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin.
Paul Bolger, director of Department of Health resources division.
Dr Eibhlin Connolly, deputy chief medical officer at the Department of Health.
Tracey Conroy, assistant secretary in the acute hospitals division of the Department of Health.
Dr John Cuddihy, interim director of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Dr Cillian de Gascun, director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory in UCD.
Colm Desmond, assistant secretary for corporate legislation, mental health, drugs policy and food safety division in the Department of Health.
Dr Lorraine Doherty, national clinical director for health protection in the HPSC.
Dr Mary Favier, president of the Irish College of General Practitioners.
Dr Ronan Glynn, deputy chief medical officer in the Department of Health.
Fergal Goodman, assistant secretary in the primary care division in the Department of Health.
Dr Colm Henry, HSE chief clinical officer.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, HSE assistant national director of public health.
Marita Kinsella, director of the national patient safety office in the Department of Health.
David Leach, HSE deputy national director of communications.
Dr Kathleen Mac Lellan, assistant secretary in Department of Health social care division.
Dr Jeanette McCallion, Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) medical assessor.
Tom McGuinness, assistant national director at HSE office of emergency planning.
Dr Siobhán Ní Bhrian, HSE lead for integrated care.
Prof Philip Nolan, chair of Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group and president of Maynooth University.
Kate O’Flaherty, head of health and wellbeing at Department of Health.
Dr Darina O’Flanagan, special adviser to NPHET at Department of Health.
Dr Siobhán O’Sullivan, chief bioethics officer at Department of Health.
Dr Michael Power, national clinical lead of HSE critical care programme and consultant in intensive care medicine at Beaumont Hospital.
Phelim Quinn, chief executive of Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).
Dr Máirín Ryan, deputy chief executive and director of health technology assessment at Hiqa.
Dr Alan Smith, Department of Health deputy chief medical officer.
Dr Breda Smyth, HSE director of health and public health medicine.
David Walsh, HSE national director of community operations.
Deirdre Watters, head of communications at Department of Health.
Liam Woods, HSE national director of acute operations.
Lorraine Doherty, HPSC clinical director for health protection.


theirishtimes--2020-04-30--Coronavirus: Contact tracing taking ‘too long’ and app should be considered, GP says

Contact tracking apps will have to be considered to determine the level of community transmission of corona virus , a GP and academic has said .
Dr Liam Glynn , who has been tracking the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland , said that while the speed of testing had improved , there was still an issue with delays in contact tracing .
Dr Glynn , who is the Professor of General Practice at the Graduate Entry Medical , University of Limerick , said the issue of the virus in nursing homes and residential care homes was being tackled , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a concern as for every person identified there were still 10 to 20 that had not been identified .
Dr Glynn ’ s comments come as the number of new cases of Covid-19 reported daily will have to move in a consistent downward trajectory before any substantial lifting of restrictions will be considered , Opposition party leaders were told in a briefing by public health officials on Wednesday .
Last night , a further 376 Covid-19 cases were reported , more than half of which related to nursing homes .
The total number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20,000 mark , and stands at 20,253 .
The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) at its briefing on Wednesday , bringing the total death toll in the pandemic to 1,190 in the Republic .
“ The problem is we have to continue to suppress the virus to save lives , but we can ’ t suppress it too much or we won ’ t have herd immunity , ” Dr Glynn told Newstalk Breakfast .
Dr Glynn , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Co Clare , said he recently sent a patient for testing .
He made the appointment in the morning , the patient was tested that afternoon and the result was back the next day .
But testing was only one link in the chain , he said .
“ The weakness in the chain is tracing .
It is taking six days and that is too long.
” A contact tracing app that can identify 50 per cent of a person ’ s contacts “ at the touch of a button ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about privacy , he said .
“ The whole system is as weak as the weakest link.
” The only way to improve and speed up contact tracing was by using technology , he said .
It was essentially “ a hand shake between phones ” using bluetooth technology .
“ That will allow us to ramp up efficiency.
” Dr Glynn said that the efforts taken to date by the Government and the response of the public had helped suppress the virus .
If that had not happened hundreds more lives would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been more pressure on the health system .
Tackling community transmissions was going to be “ a complicated decision , ” he warned .
“ There is no good way to do this.
” A drug used to treat Ebola patients has shown “ very promising ” early results in a trial of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus , scientists said .
Patients given remdesivir had a recovery time that was almost a third faster than those given a placebo , the first results from an international clinical trial showed .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , including 46 from the UK , for the Adaptive Covid-19 Treatment Trial , which began at the start of April .
Prof Paddy Mallon , consultant in infectious diseases at St Vincent ’ s Hospital in Dublin has said that reports of the success of remedesivir in treating Covid-19 were encouraging .
However , he cautioned that peer reviews will still have to be completed .
Prof Mallon told RTÉ radio ’ s Today with Séan O ’ Rourke show that the drug is traditionally used for viral infections and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replicate .
“ This is good news , ” however , the results will still have to be validated and research can not rely on just one trial , he said .
Prof Mallon said that Ireland is very active in the search for a cure for Covid-19 conducting stand alone trials while also participating in larger international trials .
“ There is a lot of work going on in the world , but we need research and further studies to be up and running rapidly.
” Prof Mallon said he thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 before there is a vaccine and his hope is that in the short term the medical profession will be able to control the virus , not eradicate it .
While the number of new cases would need to move towards the lower hundreds before any substantial lifting of restrictions will be considered , public health officials said in Wednesday ’ s briefing , they also warned politicians that there is “ no single magic number ” as the case figures could be skewed by the number of tests done and reported on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and recreation facilities could be reopened in the initial phase of the plan to ease coronavirus restrictions under draft proposals being worked on by officials .
This would only apply to such activities where social distancing can be maintained , such as tennis courts and golf courses .
The draft plans are also understood to allow some sports team training in the initial phase – but only where there is no contact , where the groups of people training are very small and social distancing can be maintained .
While the latest drafts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , earlier drafts spaced the phases out in periods between early May and September .
NPHET is expected to sign off on a final version of the plan at a meeting on Friday , before it is sent to Cabinet for consideration .
In tandem with public health advice on how to ease restrictions , the Government will also announce some policy measures to help families and businesses .
Some sources suggested such a package could be announced to help “ sugar the pill ” of little or no restrictions being lifted after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out that recommendations around the over 70s may be eased .

The only way to improve and speed up contact tracing is by using technology, Dr Liam Glynn says. Photograph: Collins
Contact tracking apps will have to be considered to determine the level of community transmission of corona virus, a GP and academic has said.
Dr Liam Glynn, who has been tracking the spread of Covid-19 in Ireland, said that while the speed of testing had improved, there was still an issue with delays in contact tracing.
Dr Glynn, who is the Professor of General Practice at the Graduate Entry Medical, University of Limerick, said the issue of the virus in nursing homes and residential care homes was being tackled, but the issue of community transmission was still a concern as for every person identified there were still 10 to 20 that had not been identified.
Dr Glynn's comments come as the number of new cases of Covid-19 reported daily will have to move in a consistent downward trajectory before any substantial lifting of restrictions will be considered, Opposition party leaders were told in a briefing by public health officials on Wednesday.
READ MORE
Last night, a further 376 Covid-19 cases were reported, more than half of which related to nursing homes. The total number of confirmed cases has now exceeded the 20,000 mark, and stands at 20,253.
The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) at its briefing on Wednesday, bringing the total death toll in the pandemic to 1,190 in the Republic.
“The problem is we have to continue to suppress the virus to save lives, but we can’t suppress it too much or we won’t have herd immunity,” Dr Glynn told Newstalk Breakfast.
Dr Glynn, who practices as a GP in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare, said he recently sent a patient for testing. He made the appointment in the morning, the patient was tested that afternoon and the result was back the next day. But testing was only one link in the chain, he said. “The weakness in the chain is tracing. It is taking six days and that is too long.”
A contact tracing app that can identify 50 per cent of a person’s contacts “at the touch of a button” would have to be considered despite concerns about privacy, he said.
“The whole system is as weak as the weakest link.”
The only way to improve and speed up contact tracing was by using technology, he said. It was essentially “a hand shake between phones” using bluetooth technology. “That will allow us to ramp up efficiency.”
Dr Glynn said that the efforts taken to date by the Government and the response of the public had helped suppress the virus. If that had not happened hundreds more lives would have been lost and there would have been more pressure on the health system.
Tackling community transmissions was going to be “a complicated decision,” he warned. “There is no good way to do this.”
Drug trial ‘good news’
A drug used to treat Ebola patients has shown “very promising” early results in a trial of people admitted to hospital with coronavirus, scientists said. Patients given remdesivir had a recovery time that was almost a third faster than those given a placebo, the first results from an international clinical trial showed. More than 1,000 patients have been recruited across the world, including 46 from the UK, for the Adaptive Covid-19 Treatment Trial, which began at the start of April.
Prof Paddy Mallon, consultant in infectious diseases at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin has said that reports of the success of remedesivir in treating Covid-19 were encouraging. However, he cautioned that peer reviews will still have to be completed.
Prof Mallon told RTÉ radio’s Today with Séan O’Rourke show that the drug is traditionally used for viral infections and it blocks the ability of the virus to replicate. “This is good news,” however, the results will still have to be validated and research cannot rely on just one trial, he said.
Prof Mallon said that Ireland is very active in the search for a cure for Covid-19 conducting stand alone trials while also participating in larger international trials.
“There is a lot of work going on in the world, but we need research and further studies to be up and running rapidly.”
Prof Mallon said he thinks there will be a treatment drug for Covid-19 before there is a vaccine and his hope is that in the short term the medical profession will be able to control the virus, not eradicate it.
Lifting restrictions
While the number of new cases would need to move towards the lower hundreds before any substantial lifting of restrictions will be considered, public health officials said in Wednesday’s briefing, they also warned politicians that there is “no single magic number” as the case figures could be skewed by the number of tests done and reported on a particular day”.
Some sporting and recreation facilities could be reopened in the initial phase of the plan to ease coronavirus restrictions under draft proposals being worked on by officials.
This would only apply to such activities where social distancing can be maintained, such as tennis courts and golf courses.
The draft plans are also understood to allow some sports team training in the initial phase – but only where there is no contact, where the groups of people training are very small and social distancing can be maintained.
While the latest drafts of the plan do not specify dates, earlier drafts spaced the phases out in periods between early May and September.
NPHET is expected to sign off on a final version of the plan at a meeting on Friday, before it is sent to Cabinet for consideration.
In tandem with public health advice on how to ease restrictions, the Government will also announce some policy measures to help families and businesses.
Some sources suggested such a package could be announced to help “sugar the pill” of little or no restrictions being lifted after May 5th, with hope still held out that recommendations around the over 70s may be eased.


theirishtimes--2020-04-30--May Bank Holiday: Weather to reach high-point with 19 degrees on Monday

Showers and some sunny spells are forecast for the May Bank Holiday weekend with temperatures due to rise to 19 degrees on Monday .
Showery outbreaks of rain covering the eastern half of the country will shift away eastwards on Thursday morning and sunny spells and isolated showers in western parts will extend to all areas .
Temperatures will range between nine degrees in the northeast to 13 degrees in the southwest and winds will be mainly moderate .
It will become mainly dry on Thursday night as showers die away and temperatures will fall to between three and five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ west winds .
Friday will have sunny spells and frequent showers with temperatures between nine and 13 degrees once again in a light to moderate wind .
Friday night will become mostly dry again as showers die out and winds fall light .
There ’ s a risk of a grass frost as temperatures fall to between one and three degrees .
Saturday will be mainly dry and sunny with temperatures ranging between 13 to 15 degrees with light variable breezes .
Cloud will increase throughout the day and overnight sees a chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain light and variable through the night with temperatures falling between two and five degrees .
Sunday is expected to be dry with sunshine but there is some uncertainty as the track of an area of low pressure and its associated weather fronts , remains unclear at this point .
Temperatures are expected to start to rise from Sunday with up to 17 degrees expected in the west of the country .
Monday looks dry and sunny with light easterly winds and temperatures ranging between about 14 degrees in the east , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Temperatures will fall as low as three degrees overnight under clear skies .
Tuesday looks set to be another dry and sunny day with light easterly winds and temperatures higher than typical for this time of year .

Showers and some sunny spells are forecast for the May Bank Holiday weekend. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times
Showers and some sunny spells are forecast for the May Bank Holiday weekend with temperatures due to rise to 19 degrees on Monday.
Showery outbreaks of rain covering the eastern half of the country will shift away eastwards on Thursday morning and sunny spells and isolated showers in western parts will extend to all areas.
Temperatures will range between nine degrees in the northeast to 13 degrees in the southwest and winds will be mainly moderate.
It will become mainly dry on Thursday night as showers die away and temperatures will fall to between three and five degrees with light to moderate northwest to west winds.
READ MORE
Friday will have sunny spells and frequent showers with temperatures between nine and 13 degrees once again in a light to moderate wind.
Friday night will become mostly dry again as showers die out and winds fall light. There’s a risk of a grass frost as temperatures fall to between one and three degrees.
Saturday will be mainly dry and sunny with temperatures ranging between 13 to 15 degrees with light variable breezes.
Cloud will increase throughout the day and overnight sees a chance of rain on southern coasts. Winds remain light and variable through the night with temperatures falling between two and five degrees.
Sunday is expected to be dry with sunshine but there is some uncertainty as the track of an area of low pressure and its associated weather fronts, remains unclear at this point.
Temperatures are expected to start to rise from Sunday with up to 17 degrees expected in the west of the country.
Monday looks dry and sunny with light easterly winds and temperatures ranging between about 14 degrees in the east, and up to 19 degrees in the west. Temperatures will fall as low as three degrees overnight under clear skies.
Tuesday looks set to be another dry and sunny day with light easterly winds and temperatures higher than typical for this time of year.


theirishtimes--2020-04-30--Nursing homes account for 50 per cent of coronavirus deaths in Ireland

Residential care settings account for 4,363 cases of coronavirus , of which 3,457 are in nursing homes , according to new figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team ( NPHET ) .
There have been 697 deaths in residential care settings , comprising 547 laboratory-confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 150 probable/suspected cases .
In nursing homes alone , there have been 593 deaths , made up of 458 laboratory-confirmed cases and 135 probable/suspected ones .
Residential care settings account for 59 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths ; nursing homes alone account for 50 per cent of deaths .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ settings from the start of the year to April 19th revealed 586 Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes , 16 in disability centres and 14 in mental health units , according to Dr Kathleen MacLellan , assistant secretary of the Department of Health .
There were 616 virus-related deaths in these settings out of total deaths of 3,368 over the period .
“ From the end of March we have seen an increase in deaths in this sector that can be attributed to Covid-19 , ” she said .
Ireland is one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term residential care settings since the start of the pandemic , according to Dr MacLellan .
Seven out of every 10 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered from the disease , according to NPHET .
By last Saturday , 12,222 patients had recovered in the community – 64 per cent – while 1,164 , or 6 per cent , were discharged from hospital .
The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by NPHET at its briefing yesterday .
There have now been 1,190 Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases .
The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 20,253 .
An analysis of deaths shows 87 per cent had underlying conditions and 53 per cent of cases were in men .
The median age of deaths was 83 .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he did not believe the circumstances were in place for an easing of restrictions .
Citing the almost 400 new cases reported yesterday , he said “ the experience we ’ re having in the overall population is not quite at the level we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions to be loosened .
Dr Holohan said he did not anticipate any significant change in NPHET ’ s stance on the issue in the coming days , though he added there were still five or six days to go before the current restriction period ends and “ we ’ re hoping we ’ ll see progress ” .
An analysis of cases up to last Monday shows 58 per cent were female and 42 per cent were male , and the median age was 49 years .
A total of 2,669 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , of these , 355 were admitted to ICU .
The number of cases associated with healthcare workers now stands at 5,568 .
Of the 356 admissions to ICU , 129 patients remain there and 173 have been discharged , while 54 patients have died .
Some 83 per cent of patients in ICU had underlying conditions and the median age was 60 .
There are now a total of 369 clusters of the disease in residential care settings , including 219 in nursing homes , NPHET reported .
Dr Holohan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue of mask-wearing in the general community at its meeting tomorrow .

Residential care settings account for 4,363 cases of coronavirus, of which 3,457 are in nursing homes, according to new figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
There have been 697 deaths in residential care settings, comprising 547 laboratory-confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 150 probable/suspected cases.
In nursing homes alone, there have been 593 deaths, made up of 458 laboratory-confirmed cases and 135 probable/suspected ones.
Residential care settings account for 59 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths; nursing homes alone account for 50 per cent of deaths.
READ MORE
A census of deaths in residential care settings from the start of the year to April 19th revealed 586 Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes, 16 in disability centres and 14 in mental health units, according to Dr Kathleen MacLellan, assistant secretary of the Department of Health.
There were 616 virus-related deaths in these settings out of total deaths of 3,368 over the period.
"From the end of March we have seen an increase in deaths in this sector that can be attributed to Covid-19," she said. Ireland is one of the few countries collecting and reporting data from long-term residential care settings since the start of the pandemic, according to Dr MacLellan.
Seven out of every 10 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have recovered from the disease, according to NPHET.
By last Saturday, 12,222 patients had recovered in the community – 64 per cent – while 1,164, or 6 per cent, were discharged from hospital.
The deaths of another 31 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 were reported by NPHET at its briefing yesterday. There have now been 1,190 Covid-19 related deaths in the Republic.
NPHET also reported 376 new confirmed cases. The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 20,253.
An analysis of deaths shows 87 per cent had underlying conditions and 53 per cent of cases were in men. The median age of deaths was 83.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he did not believe the circumstances were in place for an easing of restrictions.
Citing the almost 400 new cases reported yesterday, he said “the experience we’re having in the overall population is not quite at the level we’d like to be” for restrictions to be loosened.
Restriction
Dr Holohan said he did not anticipate any significant change in NPHET’s stance on the issue in the coming days, though he added there were still five or six days to go before the current restriction period ends and “we’re hoping we’ll see progress”.
An analysis of cases up to last Monday shows 58 per cent were female and 42 per cent were male, and the median age was 49 years.
A total of 2,669 cases (13 per cent) were hospitalised and, of these, 355 were admitted to ICU.
The number of cases associated with healthcare workers now stands at 5,568. Of the 356 admissions to ICU, 129 patients remain there and 173 have been discharged, while 54 patients have died.
Some 83 per cent of patients in ICU had underlying conditions and the median age was 60. There are now a total of 369 clusters of the disease in residential care settings, including 219 in nursing homes, NPHET reported.
Dr Holohan, said NPHET would give further consideration to the issue of mask-wearing in the general community at its meeting tomorrow.