theirishtimes--2020-12-27--Covid-19: Ban on inter-county travel now in effect

Travel between counties is now prohibited following the introduction of new Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday .
People who had travelled outside their county of residence for Christmas are not asked to return home immediately but should remain in their county once they do .
The advice on indoor visits has also changed , with people only allowed to receive visitors from one other household .
This measure will remain in place until January 1st after which time , household visits will be banned completely .
Gastro-pubs and restaurants will remain shut having closed their doors on Christmas Eve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to remain open , the usual Christmas/January sales have been deferred .
It is understood the National Public Health Emergency team ( Nphet ) recommended in a letter last week that all non-essential retail outlets should close , with this and other restrictions to be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday .
Nphet reported a record high 1,296 cases of Covid-19 on December 26th , the highest number recorded in a single day since the pandemic began .
It was the second day in a row that the number of daily cases passed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen since October 25th .
Six coronavirus-related deaths were also reported on St Stephen ’ s Day , bringing the total to 2,200 .
Northern Ireland reported 998 cases and 20 deaths as the North entered a six-week lockdown .
Under the latest restrictions in the State , gyms , leisure centres and swimming pools may remain open for individual training only and non-contact training pods of up to 15 may take place outdoors .
Hotel guests booked in over Christmas must check out today and hotels are now only allowed to open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government members have continued to insist that schools will open as planned in January , however , sources have said that this position would be reviewed if daily case numbers accelerated into the thousands .
Golf and outdoor tennis can continue but no matches can take place except for professional and elite sports , horse , racing , greyhound racing and approved equestrian events behind closed doors .
Earlier this week , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told The Irish Times that new variants of the virus from South Africa and the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection rates across all age groups , meant “ it ’ s the most serious situation since I became health Minister ” .
Also on St Stephen ’ s Day , the first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arrived in the Republic with the vaccination programme scheduled to begin on Wednesday , December 30th starting with frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents .
The first batch of the vaccine is understood to contain 10,000 doses with the next shipment containing tens of thousands of doses due to arrive next week .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30,000 nursing home residents will be vaccinated , having received the required two doses , by the end of January .
After frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents are vaccinated , people over 70 ; other healthcare workers not in direct patient contact , people aged 65 to 69 and other “ key workers ” will be vaccinated in that order .
This will be followed by people aged 18 to 64 years with certain medical conditions ; who are residents of long-term care facilities , and living or working in crowded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be key workers in essential jobs who can not avoid a high risk of exposure ; people working in education , people aged 55 to 64 , other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society and those aged between 18 and 54 .
Internationally , Europe began its cross-border vaccination programme on Sunday after the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were delivered to EU member states .
Countries including France , Germany , Italy , Austria , Portugal and Spain are planning to begin mass vaccinations , starting with health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Britain , Switzerland and Serbia have already started in recent weeks .
The next vaccine set for approval by the EU is the Moderna vaccine , with authorisation expected on January 6th .
After that , the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine , which is considerably easier to administer as it does not require very cold storage as is the case with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna jabs , is expected to get EU approval in early January .
However , it has been reported that the UK regulator could approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab within days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that mass inoculation against Covid-19 was unlikely to be possible until May or June as the vaccine will not be available in sufficient quantities until then .
“ I think the first six months of 2021 will see improvements but we certainly won ’ t have normality in the first six months as we knew it , ” said the Taoiseach on Saturday .

Travel between counties is now prohibited following the introduction of new Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday. File photograph: Liam McBurney/PA Wire.
Travel between counties is now prohibited following the introduction of new Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday.
People who had travelled outside their county of residence for Christmas are not asked to return home immediately but should remain in their county once they do.
The advice on indoor visits has also changed, with people only allowed to receive visitors from one other household. This measure will remain in place until January 1st after which time, household visits will be banned completely.
Gastro-pubs and restaurants will remain shut having closed their doors on Christmas Eve and, while non-essential retailers are allowed to remain open, the usual Christmas/January sales have been deferred.
READ MORE
It is understood the National Public Health Emergency team (Nphet) recommended in a letter last week that all non-essential retail outlets should close, with this and other restrictions to be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
Nphet reported a record high 1,296 cases of Covid-19 on December 26th, the highest number recorded in a single day since the pandemic began.
It was the second day in a row that the number of daily cases passed the 1,000 mark, a level not seen since October 25th.
Death toll
Six coronavirus-related deaths were also reported on St Stephen’s Day, bringing the total to 2,200.
Northern Ireland reported 998 cases and 20 deaths as the North entered a six-week lockdown.
Under the latest restrictions in the State, gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools may remain open for individual training only and non-contact training pods of up to 15 may take place outdoors.
Hotel guests booked in over Christmas must check out today and hotels are now only allowed to open for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
Government members have continued to insist that schools will open as planned in January, however, sources have said that this position would be reviewed if daily case numbers accelerated into the thousands.
Golf and outdoor tennis can continue but no matches can take place except for professional and elite sports, horse, racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events behind closed doors.
Earlier this week, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told The Irish Times that new variants of the virus from South Africa and the UK, combined with a rapid rise in infection rates across all age groups, meant "it's the most serious situation since I became health Minister".
Vaccine
Also on St Stephen’s Day, the first shipment of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine arrived in the Republic with the vaccination programme scheduled to begin on Wednesday, December 30th starting with frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents.
The first batch of the vaccine is understood to contain 10,000 doses with the next shipment containing tens of thousands of doses due to arrive next week.
It is envisaged by the HSE that 30,000 nursing home residents will be vaccinated, having received the required two doses, by the end of January.
After frontline healthcare workers and nursing home residents are vaccinated, people over 70; other healthcare workers not in direct patient contact, people aged 65 to 69 and other “key workers” will be vaccinated in that order.
This will be followed by people aged 18 to 64 years with certain medical conditions; who are residents of long-term care facilities, and living or working in crowded settings.
Next to be immunised will be key workers in essential jobs who cannot avoid a high risk of exposure; people working in education, people aged 55 to 64, other workers in occupations important to the functioning of society and those aged between 18 and 54.
Inoculation
Internationally, Europe began its cross-border vaccination programme on Sunday after the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine were delivered to EU member states. Countries including France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Spain are planning to begin mass vaccinations, starting with health workers on Sunday. Outside the EU, Britain, Switzerland and Serbia have already started in recent weeks.
The next vaccine set for approval by the EU is the Moderna vaccine, with authorisation expected on January 6th. After that, the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, which is considerably easier to administer as it does not require very cold storage as is the case with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna jabs, is expected to get EU approval in early January.
However, it has been reported that the UK regulator could approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab within days.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said this weekend that mass inoculation against Covid-19 was unlikely to be possible until May or June as the vaccine will not be available in sufficient quantities until then.
“I think the first six months of 2021 will see improvements but we certainly won’t have normality in the first six months as we knew it,” said the Taoiseach on Saturday.


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--Q&A: What are the latest Covid-19 restrictions and when will they end?

If you ’ ve been happily enjoying the bliss of Christmas cake and festive television , you may have missed the ever-changing list of Covid-19 restrictions .
Here ’ s the latest What are the latest Covid-19 rules to come in ?
Travel between counties is now prohibited following the introduction of new Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday .
People who had travelled outside their county of residence for Christmas are not asked to return home immediately but should remain in their county of residence once they do .
People are allowed to travel outside their county for work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for children and elderly , for farming , for weddings or funerals or to attend a grave .
The advice on indoor visits has also changed , with people only allowed to receive visitors from one other household .
This measure will remain in place until January 1st after which time , household visits will be banned completely .
What changes are going to come in from January ?
From January 1st visits to private homes or gardens will again be banned , except for essential family reasons or people in support bubbles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a wedding from January 3rd will go down to six from 25 .
Are there any other changes ?
Not as of yet .
It is understood the National Public Health Emergency team ( Nphet ) recommended in a letter last week that all non-essential retail outlets should close for six weeks , with this and other restrictions to be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday .
What rules are already in place that will remain ?
Gastro-pubs and restaurants will remain shut having closed their doors on Christmas Eve except for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide food and bar to guests only and can only have essential non-social guests except for those who checked in before St Stephen ’ s Day .
Hairdressers , salons , cinemas , galleries , and museums closed on Christmas Eve , while gyms and swimming pools will remain open for individual training only .
Mass and religious services have moved online only .
Non-essential retail is allowed remain open , but will be encouraged to avoid holding any large sales events .
No organised outdoor gatherings are allowed .
Funerals are limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work from home .
Schools are expected to reopen as normal in January but third level will be primarily online .
Not any time soon , Tánaiste Leo Varadkar indicated on Monday .
As vaccinations are due to be rolled out in the State on Tuesday he said there was a case for saying that Level 5 restrictions should stay in place until those most at-risk were vaccinated .
The restrictions are due to be reviewed by the Cabinet on January 12th but are unlikely to change as the impact of restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at that point .
And when will we be getting vaccines ?
Tuesday , according to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) Paul Reid .
Under the Government ’ s prioritisation plan over-65s living in long-term residential care facilities such as nursing homes are first in line , followed by healthcare workers .
Currently there are just less than 10,000 doses of the two-step Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in the country , and about 30,000 more are due this week .
This will be followed by 40,000 per week throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely be devoted to the nursing homes ’ programme once it gets into gear .
The indications are that Moderna ’ s vaccine , which is similarly complex to administer , may be approved as early as January 6th , so there could be extra supplies coming into the State shortly after that happens .
All told it seems there will be upwards of 300,000 delivered to the State before the end of February , more than enough to immunise the entire nursing home sector

People on Henry Street in Dublin city centre, where retailers can remain open but have been asked to defer sales until Januar. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
If you’ve been happily enjoying the bliss of Christmas cake and festive television, you may have missed the ever-changing list of Covid-19 restrictions. Here’s the latest
What are the latest Covid-19 rules to come in?
Travel between counties is now prohibited following the introduction of new Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday.
People who had travelled outside their county of residence for Christmas are not asked to return home immediately but should remain in their county of residence once they do. People are allowed to travel outside their county for work, medical care, court, caring for children and elderly, for farming, for weddings or funerals or to attend a grave.
The advice on indoor visits has also changed, with people only allowed to receive visitors from one other household. This measure will remain in place until January 1st after which time, household visits will be banned completely.
READ MORE
What changes are going to come in from January?
From January 1st visits to private homes or gardens will again be banned, except for essential family reasons or people in support bubbles. The maximum number of people allowed at a wedding from January 3rd will go down to six from 25.
Are there any other changes?
Not as of yet. It is understood the National Public Health Emergency team (Nphet) recommended in a letter last week that all non-essential retail outlets should close for six weeks, with this and other restrictions to be considered by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
What rules are already in place that will remain?
Gastro-pubs and restaurants will remain shut having closed their doors on Christmas Eve except for take-away and delivery services.
Hotels can provide food and bar to guests only and can only have essential non-social guests except for those who checked in before St Stephen’s Day.
Hairdressers, salons, cinemas, galleries, and museums closed on Christmas Eve, while gyms and swimming pools will remain open for individual training only. Mass and religious services have moved online only.
Non-essential retail is allowed remain open, but will be encouraged to avoid holding any large sales events.
No organised outdoor gatherings are allowed. Funerals are limited to 10 mourners.
People are asked to work from home.
Schools are expected to reopen as normal in January but third level will be primarily online.
When will restrictions end?
Not any time soon, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar indicated on Monday. As vaccinations are due to be rolled out in the State on Tuesday he said there was a case for saying that Level 5 restrictions should stay in place until those most at-risk were vaccinated.
The restrictions are due to be reviewed by the Cabinet on January 12th but are unlikely to change as the impact of restrictions may not be felt on cases numbers at that point.
And when will we be getting vaccines?
Tuesday, according to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Paul Reid. Under the Government’s prioritisation plan over-65s living in long-term residential care facilities such as nursing homes are first in line, followed by healthcare workers.
Currently there are just less than 10,000 doses of the two-step Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in the country, and about 30,000 more are due this week. This will be followed by 40,000 per week throughout January and early February, which will largely be devoted to the nursing homes’ programme once it gets into gear.
The indications are that Moderna’s vaccine, which is similarly complex to administer, may be approved as early as January 6th, so there could be extra supplies coming into the State shortly after that happens. All told it seems there will be upwards of 300,000 delivered to the State before the end of February, more than enough to immunise the entire nursing home sector


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--Record number of new lab tests for Covid-19 as virus ‘very active’

There was a record number of new lab tests for Covid-19 in the State just before Christmas at 23,000 on December 23rd , the HSE ’ s chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry , has said .
He said contact tracing had also seen a “ big big ” increase from 9,000 cases per week to more than 30,000 per week from December 22nd .
“ All this shows the virus is very active out there in the community and it ’ s replicating - there are multiple outbreaks and we see also the arrival of this new strain from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is now the dominant strain there , ” he said .
Dr Henry said that based on the current growth rate , “ if this continues unmitigated without any change in the sharp upcurve that we ’ re seeing we will certainly see large numbers of cases which inevitably will translate into hospitalisations , occupancy of intensive care units and unfortunately death ” .
He told RTE Radio ’ s Morning Ireland that there has been a sharp rise in the admission in acute hospitals in the past week and those becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the numbers at 8pm last night were 325 .
He said the other side o the story was the large number of empty beds , 1467 , as of Sunday night , and a sharp decrease in the trolleys as compared to this time last year .
“ What is happening is one of the few unexpected bonuses of this pandemic is we ’ ve seen no lab recorded influenza cases to date this year .
We ’ ve seen a sharp decrease in other seasonal viruses to the extent that other non-Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we would usually expect around the Christmas period , ” he added .
Dr Henry also defended the pace of the Covid vaccination programme in the State , saying it was not a question of speed , but a question of safety .
There was a need to demonstrate that the programme was being rolled out safely .
As other vaccines are approved the pace of the programme will increase , he explained .
The first vaccines are due to be given on Tuesday , although some other European countries began innoculations on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remained the primary factor in controlling the spread of the virus , he said .
Dr Henry urged people to reduce the number of contacts and to follow public health advice .
A further 744 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths were reported to the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) on Sunday , which believes the disease is circulating at a higher rate than the numbers reflect .
In a statement on Sunday evening , the Department of Health said a total of 86,129 cases have been confirmed in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the disease have been reported since the pandemic began .
Sunday ’ s numbers were considerably lower than the record 1,296 cases reported a day earlier , but chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he believed this reflected the fact that fewer tests were carried out on Christmas Day and St Stephen ’ s Day .
He said that Nphet believes “ there are higher levels of disease circulating in the community than today ’ s reported numbers reflect ” .
“ We expect , therefore , to see a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days , ” he added .
Of the latest cases , 246 were in Dublin with 131 in Cork , 51 in Limerick , 40 in Wexford , 33 in Donegal and the remaining 243 cases were spread across 19 counties .
“ We have seen a significant increase in the number of hospitalisations in the last two weeks from less than 190 to 324 today , ” Dr Holohan said .
“ This indicates a deteriorating disease trajectory nationally and is a significant reminder of the severity of this disease .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indicators of Covid-19 right across the country and the growth rate of the epidemic has accelerated in recent days.
” The 14-day incidence rate stands at 209.6 cases per 100,000 people nationally , with the highest rates in Donegal ( 425.9 ) and Wexford ( 348.6 ) .
The incidence rate in Dublin is 249.1 with the lowest levels in Leitrim ( 68.7 ) and Offaly ( 83.4 ) .

There were 765 new cases of Covid-19 and one further death reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) on Monday evening.
In a statement marking the release of the latest figures, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan warned that the number of people being hospitalised due to Covid-19 had “increased sharply” in the last two days.
“This is a concerning trend which reflects the sharp increase [in] incidence we saw in the last 10 days,” he said.
There were 359 Covid-19 patients in the State’s hospitals as of 2pm on Monday, with 41 admitted in the past 24 hours. Some 30 Covid-19 patients were in intensive care, with five admitted in the last day.
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“We have now exceeded the cumulative number of people hospitalised in this third wave than in the second,” Dr Holohan said.
Of the 765 new cases reported on Monday, 291 were located in Co Dublin, followed by 63 in Co Cork, 59 in Co Monaghan, 49 in Co Louth and 43 in Co Meath. The remaining 260 cases were spread across all other counties.
Dr Holohan said public health officials were seeing a “steep rise in the positivity rates” from community testing, a key metric indicating how prevalent the virus was within the general population.
The current seven-day average rate of positive tests had risen to 9.2 per cent, up from 5.2 per cent on December 18th.
Dr Holohan also noted that the figures “we are reporting today are lower than days up to December 26th. This, however, results from factors related to the time of the year, such as the lower rates of attendance and referrals and presentation for testing for several days over Christmas.”
New lab tests
Earlier, the HSE’s chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said there was a record number of new lab tests for Covid-19 in the State just before Christmas at 23,000 on December 23rd.
He said contact tracing had also seen a “big, big” increase from 9,000 cases per week to more than 30,000 per week from December 22nd.
“All this shows the virus is very active out there in the community and it’s replicating – there are multiple outbreaks and we see also the arrival of this new strain from London and the southeast of England which is now the dominant strain there,” he said.
Dr Henry said that based on the current growth rate, “if this continues unmitigated without any change in the sharp upcurve that we’re seeing we will certainly see large numbers of cases which inevitably will translate into hospitalisations, occupancy of intensive care units and unfortunately death”.
He told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland that there has been a sharp rise in the admission in acute hospitals in the past week and those becoming sick with Covid within acute hospitals.
He said the other side of the story was the large number of empty beds, 1,467, as of Sunday night, and a sharp decrease in the trolleys as compared with this time last year.
“What is happening is one of the few unexpected bonuses of this pandemic is we’ve seen no lab recorded influenza cases to date this year. We’ve seen a sharp decrease in other seasonal viruses to the extent that other non-Covid illnesses are not presenting in the volumes we would usually expect around the Christmas period,” he added.
Vaccination programme
Dr Henry also defended the pace of the Covid vaccination programme in the State, saying it was not a question of speed, but a question of safety. There was a need to demonstrate that the programme was being rolled out safely, he said. As other vaccines are approved the pace of the programme will increase, he explained. The first vaccines are due to be given on Tuesday, although some other European countries began inoculations on Sunday.
The behaviour of the public remained the primary factor in controlling the spread of the virus, he said. Dr Henry urged people to reduce their number of contacts and to follow public health advice.
On Sunday it emerged that Nphet believes the disease is circulating at a higher rate than the numbers reflect.
Dr Holohan said on Sunday that Nphet believes “there are higher levels of disease circulating in the community than today’s reported numbers reflect”.
“We expect, therefore, to see a large increase in cases reported over the coming days,” he added.


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--Storm Bella: More than a thousand homes still without power

More than a thousand homes and businesses remained without power on Monday morning after Storm Bella hit Ireland over the weekend .
Storm Bella hit Ireland on Saturday night and early on Sunday morning with rain and strong winds in many places .
Customers in counties Cork , Kerry , Galway , Limerick , Mayo , Sligo , Donegal and Louth remained without power on Monday morning with clusters of power outages along Ireland ’ s western coast .
In Claregalway , more than 400 customers were still without power while another 250 homes and businesses also without power around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More than 200 customers living between Westport and Castlebar had no power on Monday while more than 300 customers living in the town of Bruff in Co Limerick also were without power .
Further south in Co Cork , more than 430 customers in Bantry also had no power on Monday morning .
An ESB spokesman said the network had experienced a “ normal , blustery evening for this time of year ” on Sunday and that ESB crews had been “ mobilised to repair any faults to the network ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for most western and northern counties with status yellow wind warnings in place for counties Donegal , Mayo , Sligo , Clare , Cork and Kerry until 2pm on Monday afternoon .
Met Éireann warned that northwesterly winds associated with Storm Bella could reach mean speeds of 50-65km/h with gusts of 90-110km/h .
The combination of strong winds , high waves and forecasted storm surge could also lead to coastal flooding , warned the forecaster .
In Northern counties , rain , sleet and snow was expected to move south through Sunday night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday morning .
A status yellow wind and ice warning affecting counties Antrim , Armagh , Down , Fermanagh , Tyrone and Derry expired at 10am on Monday .
Monday is set to be a blustery day with widespread showers of rain or hail , some snow on higher ground and highest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees .
Some showers will be prolonged with a risk of spot flooding but there will also be drier and brighter spells in the east and far west .
Monday night will be cold with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while Tuesday will see sunny spells and scattered showers with a chance of snow in some parts .
AA Roadwatch advised drivers to take care on wet and frosty road surfaces which make it difficult to slow down and brake .
Road users should also expect wind-blown debris on all routes and give extra room to other road users , especially pedestrians , cyclists and motorcyclists , said AA .
In Co Kerry , diversions are in place on the Tralee/Ballybunion Road just south of Ballyduff at the turn off for the Causeway @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while more fallen trees have been cleared from the N70 Ring of Kerry between Kenmare and Blackwater , according to the AA newsroom .
A tree has also been cleared on the N86 between Camp and Dingle .

A thick layer of sea foam was seen swamping coastline in Co Kerry on Sunday, December 27th after Storm Bella swept across Ireland overnight. Video: Reuters
A status yellow wind warning has been issued for a number of western counties until Tuesday morning.
The latest warning comes as hundreds of homes and businesses along the west coast remained without power on Monday afternoon after Storm Bella hit Ireland over the weekend.
The storm struck Ireland on Saturday night and early on Sunday morning with rain and strong winds in many places.
Here is the latest cloud and rainfall forecast from our HARMONIE weather model. It covers the period from now until 12:00 Wednesday.
More weather forecast information for the upcoming days and outlook period can be found here:https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/GbMGX2tbTy — Met Éireann (@MetEireann) December 28, 2020
Premises in counties Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Mayo, Limerick and Donegal were still without power on Monday afternoon, with clusters of power outages along Ireland's western coast.
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In Ballyhaunis, more than 260 ESB customers had no power on Monday afternoon, with more than 200 homes and businesses around Kilgarvan also without power. More than 100 customers based around Kenmare in Co Kerry had no power by 3pm on Monday, while another 175 had no power in Gurranebane.
An ESB spokesman said the network had experienced a “normal, blustery evening for this time of year” on Sunday and that ESB crews had been “mobilised to repair any faults to the network”.
Weather warnings remained in place on Monday for most western and northern counties. A status yellow wind warning was in place for counties Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork and Kerry until 2pm on Monday. This was followed by the latest status yellow wind warning, for counties Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Kerry, which is in place until 7am on Tuesday.
Met Éireann warned that northwesterly winds associated with Storm Bella could reach mean speeds of 50-65km/h with gusts of 90-110km/h. The combination of strong winds, high waves and forecasted storm surge could also lead to coastal flooding, warned the forecaster on Monday.
A status yellow wind and ice warning affecting counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry expired at 10am on Monday.
Monday night will be cold with frost and icy patches in some areas, while Tuesday will see sunny spells and scattered showers with a chance of snow in some parts.
AA Roadwatch advised drivers to take care on wet and frosty road surfaces which make it difficult to slow down and brake. Road users should also expect wind-blown debris on all routes and give extra room to other road users, especially pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, said AA.
In Co Kerry, diversions were in place on the Tralee/Ballybunion Road just south of Ballyduff at the turn-off for the Causeway as emergency services removed a fallen tree, while more fallen trees were cleared from the N70 Ring of Kerry between Kenmare and Blackwater, according to the AA newsroom. A tree has also been cleared on the N86 between Camp and Dingle.


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--State funds and private schools: ‘We’re social enterprises, not money-making operations’

There were moments this year when Mark Boobbyer , warden of St Columba ’ s College in Dublin , wondered if the school would ever reopen .
The risk of Covid-19 spreading through any school is high ; the stakes are higher still for a 170-year-old boarding school that is home to hundreds of pupils .
Although most of the school ’ s 350-plus students are Irish , significant numbers are from European countries as well as Hong Kong , China and Nigeria .
To help keep the virus at bay , new rules were introduced .
International students were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get tested ; boutique caravans were set up as isolation rooms in the event of an outbreak ; new rules were put in place requiring boarders to keep within bubbles ; gatherings in the dining room were limited and socially distanced .
The school had planned for major disruption but , so far , it has not recorded a single case on the premises .
It turns out that boarding schools – with their controlled environments – may be safer than most other settings .
“ We have relatively few pupils coming in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Covid coming in are reduced .
Once you keep it out when pupils return , you ’ ve got a good chance of keeping it out.
” No positive cases have been recorded in most of the country ’ s 20-plus boarding schools due , they say , to a range of precautionary measures .
However , there has been anger and frustration among private schools – and boarding schools in particular – at the Department of Education ’ s decision to refuse the fee-charging sector automatic access to its €365 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan was to limit these funds to State-funded schools only .
These rules were later eased to allow private schools access funds where they could “ demonstrate difficulties in implementing necessary control measures outlined in the plan ” .
The department has said fee-charging schools have since received about €2 million in Covid-related supports .
The sector , however , says it is still excluded from a range of other costs such as hiring additional supervision staff for break times .
Mr Boobbyer argues there can be a bias against the fee-charging sector @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not need funds .
“ Some may say , ‘ Why are these private schools with all their facilities being funded by the taxpayer ?
’ They ’ re not , ” he says .
“ The State is not funding our facilities .
The salaries of most teachers are being funded , but not at the same rate as other schools.
” Other private school principals share his frustration .
Barbara Ennis , principal of Alexandra College in Milltown , Dublin 6 , says fee-charging schools have had to “ put up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get what supports they have .
“ We feel that every single child in the country , no matter whether their parents chose to send their child to a fee-paying school or not , should be entitled to the same funding during a pandemic like this , ” she says .
“ Pandemics don ’ t distinguish between fee-paying schools and other schools , and we had to go to quite considerable expense ourselves , to make sure that the girls and the teachers were safe.
” Edward Gash , headmaster of Midleton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has boarding students – has found the attitude “ disappointing ” .
“ The school has been here 300 years and we have been part of the education system all that time , so to hear that we weren ’ t going to get any funding was very disheartening for teachers , students and parents , ” he said .
The fact that the school has not received additional State funding for supervision and substitution duties also rankles .
“ One of the most difficult times for schools for providing a safe space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We ’ ve had to increase the number of break times and lunchtimes we have as well to reduce gathering , and we didn ’ t receive any additional funding to help us to manage that.
” A number of school principals in the fee-charging sector , speaking on condition of anonymity , said there was huge anger over the move .
“ Our parents are taxpayers , our teachers are State employees , why are they any less worthy of protection than others ?
” asked one principal .
Another said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggled to find the funds to adapt classrooms and access other supports : “ We simply don ’ t have piles of spare cash lying around .
Many schools like ours just about get by.
” Among the wider public , though , there is limited sympathy for private schools .
There is a wider debate over whether the sector should receive State support in the first place .
Fee-charging schools received a total of more than €100 million in public funding this year .
The vast bulk went on salaries for teachers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the most expensive schools are charging up to €8,600 a year for day pupils and in excess of €20,000 a year for boarding .
In relation to whether fee-paying schools should receive State funding , Ms Ennis believes that cutting funding for these schools would create a situation with “ very few fee-paying schools and they would be very elitist .
I think it ’ s always been a healthy phenomenon in the Irish system that the department continues to pay for the salaries of the teachers ” .
As far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fees for many private schools reflect the fact that students have meals , supervised study and access to extra-curricular activities .
Many of the parents he sees seeking a private education are “ gridlock parents ” who like the idea of being able to provide their children with education , sports , other activities and study under the one roof .
“ If you are working parents and have two or three children who need to be transported to school or basketball practice or music , there really is something to be said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he says .
“ It saves travel , time and stress.
” Mr Gash agrees that if State funding to fee-paying schools was cut , many would be unable to provide the type of education they do now .
“ If we had to go completely private , it would exclude a lot of students from being able to access a school of this ethos , and would reduce parental choice .
We are a social enterprise , we ’ re not a money-making operation .
”

There were moments this year when Mark Boobbyer, warden of St Columba's College in Dublin, wondered if the school would ever reopen. The risk of Covid-19 spreading through any school is high; the stakes are higher still for a 170-year-old boarding school that is home to hundreds of pupils.
Although most of the school's 350-plus students are Irish, significant numbers are from European countries as well as Hong Kong, China and Nigeria.
To help keep the virus at bay, new rules were introduced.
International students were required to isolate for five days and get tested; boutique caravans were set up as isolation rooms in the event of an outbreak; new rules were put in place requiring boarders to keep within bubbles; gatherings in the dining room were limited and socially distanced.
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The school had planned for major disruption but, so far, it has not recorded a single case on the premises. It turns out that boarding schools – with their controlled environments – may be safer than most other settings.
“We have relatively few pupils coming in and so it means that the chances of Covid coming in are reduced. Once you keep it out when pupils return, you’ve got a good chance of keeping it out.”
No positive cases have been recorded in most of the country’s 20-plus boarding schools due, they say, to a range of precautionary measures.
However, there has been anger and frustration among private schools – and boarding schools in particular – at the Department of Education’s decision to refuse the fee-charging sector automatic access to its €365 million Covid-19 school reopening funds.
The State is not funding our facilities. The salaries of most teachers are being funded, but not at the same rate as other schools
The initial plan was to limit these funds to State-funded schools only. These rules were later eased to allow private schools access funds where they could “demonstrate difficulties in implementing necessary control measures outlined in the plan”.
The department has said fee-charging schools have since received about €2 million in Covid-related supports.
Additional supervision
The sector, however, says it is still excluded from a range of other costs such as hiring additional supervision staff for break times.
Mr Boobbyer argues there can be a bias against the fee-charging sector due to a perception that they do not need funds.
“Some may say, ‘Why are these private schools with all their facilities being funded by the taxpayer?’ They’re not,” he says.
“The State is not funding our facilities. The salaries of most teachers are being funded, but not at the same rate as other schools.”
Other private school principals share his frustration. Barbara Ennis, principal of Alexandra College in Milltown, Dublin 6, says fee-charging schools have had to "put up a bit of a fight" to get what supports they have.
“We feel that every single child in the country, no matter whether their parents chose to send their child to a fee-paying school or not, should be entitled to the same funding during a pandemic like this,” she says.
“Pandemics don’t distinguish between fee-paying schools and other schools, and we had to go to quite considerable expense ourselves, to make sure that the girls and the teachers were safe.”
Edward Gash, headmaster of Midleton College in Co Cork – which also has boarding students – has found the attitude "disappointing".
“The school has been here 300 years and we have been part of the education system all that time, so to hear that we weren’t going to get any funding was very disheartening for teachers, students and parents,” he said.
Rankles
The fact that the school has not received additional State funding for supervision and substitution duties also rankles.
“One of the most difficult times for schools for providing a safe space would be break time and lunchtime.
“We’ve had to increase the number of break times and lunchtimes we have as well to reduce gathering, and we didn’t receive any additional funding to help us to manage that.”
Fee-charging schools received a total of more than €100 million in public funding this year
A number of school principals in the fee-charging sector, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there was huge anger over the move.
“Our parents are taxpayers, our teachers are State employees, why are they any less worthy of protection than others?” asked one principal.
Another said some schools in the fee-charging sector have struggled to find the funds to adapt classrooms and access other supports: “We simply don’t have piles of spare cash lying around. Many schools like ours just about get by.”
Among the wider public, though, there is limited sympathy for private schools.
There is a wider debate over whether the sector should receive State support in the first place.
Fee-charging schools received a total of more than €100 million in public funding this year. The vast bulk went on salaries for teachers and special-needs assistants.
At the same time, the most expensive schools are charging up to €8,600 a year for day pupils and in excess of €20,000 a year for boarding.
In relation to whether fee-paying schools should receive State funding, Ms Ennis believes that cutting funding for these schools would create a situation with “very few fee-paying schools and they would be very elitist. I think it’s always been a healthy phenomenon in the Irish system that the department continues to pay for the salaries of the teachers”.
‘Gridlock parents’
As far as Mr Boobbyer is concerned, the fees for many private schools reflect the fact that students have meals, supervised study and access to extra-curricular activities.
Many of the parents he sees seeking a private education are “gridlock parents” who like the idea of being able to provide their children with education, sports, other activities and study under the one roof.
“If you are working parents and have two or three children who need to be transported to school or basketball practice or music, there really is something to be said for having that in one place,” he says. “It saves travel, time and stress.”
Mr Gash agrees that if State funding to fee-paying schools was cut, many would be unable to provide the type of education they do now.
“If we had to go completely private, it would exclude a lot of students from being able to access a school of this ethos, and would reduce parental choice. We are a social enterprise, we’re not a money-making operation.”


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--Private schools receive €100m in public funding

The taxpayer subsidised private schools by more than €100 million this year , according to official figures .
The vast bulk went on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants in the State ’ s 51 fee-paying schools , along with capital expenditure and grants for Covid-related costs such as cleaning and additional supervision .
There was controversy when it emerged that private schools would not have automatic access to a special Covid-related fund for reopening schools .
However , a change in policy resulted in fee-charging schools receiving a total of €2 million in grants to reconfigure classrooms and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come at a time when student numbers in fee-charging schools continue to rise steadily .
Latest enrolment statistics show numbers attending private schools have climbed to more than 25,800 pupils , the highest total on record .
While numbers slipped during the recession , with some private schools opting to enter the free education scheme , enrolments in the fee-paying sector are back at levels last seen during the economic boom .
The boarding sector is also enjoying continuing growth in enrolments , with 3,584 students boarding in 2020 .
An Irish Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their admission fees this year in response to financial uncertainty facing families due to the pandemic .
St Columba ’ s in Dublin remains the most expensive day school in the country , at €8,654 this year .
It is followed by Sutton Park , Dublin 13 ( €7,995 ) ; Cistercian College in Roscrea ( €7,550 ) ; Alexandra College , Dublin 6 ( €7,534 ) , The King ’ s Hospital , Co Dublin ( €7,475 ) ; and St Gerard ’ s , Bray , Co Wicklow ( €7,420 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s is also the most expensive ( up to €23,952 ) ; followed by Clongowes Wood College , Co Kildare ( €20,2980 ) ; Rathdown School , Glenageary ( €19,625 ) ; and Glenstal Abbey , Co Limerick ( €19,300 ) .
New figures also show most private schools – especially those in the Dublin area – are heavily oversubscribed and have long waiting lists for places .
Under new admissions legislation , schools are required to publish annual notices disclosing the number of places available for applicants .
Admissions figures show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away hundreds of applicants in 2020 .
Loreto College , a fee-paying secondary school on St Stephen ’ s Green in Dublin , was five times oversubscribed .
It received 502 applications for its 100 available first-year places .
Belvedere College , a fee-paying school on Great Denmark Street in Dublin , was more than three times oversubscribed .
It received 550 applications for its 168 first-year places .
Gonzaga College , a fee-paying school in Ranelagh , was twice oversubscribed with 182 applications for 86 places .
Blackrock College was twice oversubscribed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made to Willow Park Senior School .
This school reported 407 applications for 208 available places .
Similarly , Castleknock College was almost twice oversubscribed , with a total of 238 applications for 120 places in first year .
Many schools in the non-fee-charging sector are also heavily oversubscribed , especially those in more affluent areas .
For example , Muckross Park College , a second-level non-fee-paying school for girls in Donnybrook , Dublin 4 , was one of the oversubscribed secondary schools , according to available figures .
It had a total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 120 first-year places , or six times the number of available place .
Mount Temple Comprehensive School , a non-fee-paying school in Dublin 3 , was almost three times oversubscribed .
It received 462 applications for the 161 available first-year places .

The taxpayer subsidised private schools by more than €100 million this year. Photograph: David Jones/PA Wire
The taxpayer subsidised private schools by more than €100 million this year, according to official figures.
The vast bulk went on salaries for teachers and special needs assistants in the State’s 51 fee-paying schools, along with capital expenditure and grants for Covid-related costs such as cleaning and additional supervision.
There was controversy when it emerged that private schools would not have automatic access to a special Covid-related fund for reopening schools.
However, a change in policy resulted in fee-charging schools receiving a total of €2 million in grants to reconfigure classrooms and purchase personal protective equipment. The figures come at a time when student numbers in fee-charging schools continue to rise steadily.
READ MORE
Latest enrolment statistics show numbers attending private schools have climbed to more than 25,800 pupils, the highest total on record.
While numbers slipped during the recession, with some private schools opting to enter the free education scheme, enrolments in the fee-paying sector are back at levels last seen during the economic boom.
The boarding sector is also enjoying continuing growth in enrolments, with 3,584 students boarding in 2020.
Fees frozen
An Irish Times survey shows most fee-charging schools have frozen their admission fees this year in response to financial uncertainty facing families due to the pandemic.
St Columba’s in Dublin remains the most expensive day school in the country, at €8,654 this year.
It is followed by Sutton Park, Dublin 13 (€7,995); Cistercian College in Roscrea (€7,550); Alexandra College, Dublin 6 (€7,534), The King's Hospital, Co Dublin (€7,475); and St Gerard's, Bray, Co Wicklow (€7,420).
Among boarding schools, St Columba's is also the most expensive (up to €23,952); followed by Clongowes Wood College, Co Kildare (€20,2980); Rathdown School, Glenageary (€19,625); and Glenstal Abbey, Co Limerick (€19,300).
New figures also show most private schools – especially those in the Dublin area – are heavily oversubscribed and have long waiting lists for places.
Under new admissions legislation, schools are required to publish annual notices disclosing the number of places available for applicants. Admissions figures show private schools and high-performing non-fee-paying schools turned away hundreds of applicants in 2020.
Oversubscribed schools
Loreto College, a fee-paying secondary school on St Stephen's Green in Dublin, was five times oversubscribed. It received 502 applications for its 100 available first-year places.
Belvedere College, a fee-paying school on Great Denmark Street in Dublin, was more than three times oversubscribed. It received 550 applications for its 168 first-year places.
Gonzaga College, a fee-paying school in Ranelagh, was twice oversubscribed with 182 applications for 86 places.
Blackrock College was twice oversubscribed, although applications to first year are made to Willow Park Senior School. This school reported 407 applications for 208 available places.
Similarly, Castleknock College was almost twice oversubscribed, with a total of 238 applications for 120 places in first year.
Many schools in the non-fee-charging sector are also heavily oversubscribed, especially those in more affluent areas.
For example, Muckross Park College, a second-level non-fee-paying school for girls in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, was one of the oversubscribed secondary schools, according to available figures.
It had a total of 720 applications this year for just 120 first-year places, or six times the number of available place.
Mount Temple Comprehensive School, a non-fee-paying school in Dublin 3, was almost three times oversubscribed. It received 462 applications for the 161 available first-year places.


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--State wary of potential for litigation with Covid jab as vaccinations begin on Tuesday

The State will vaccinate up to 20,000 people a week from early January , Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said , arguing that Ireland will not be “ left behind ” amid criticism of the speed of the roll-out of the Covid-19 immunisation programme .
After several EU countries began the roll-out of their programmes over the weekend , Róisín Shortall , co-leader of the Social Democrats , said it seemed “ there were logistical issues with registration and consent , both of which should have been sorted out by now ” .
It is understood a particular focus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of consent in the design of the programme .
The State is wary over the potential for litigation arising from the vaccination programme , after it faced legal cases which touched on the issue of informed consent over Pandemrix , the swine-flu vaccine .
Senior medics , including Dr Tony Holohan , were in the spotlight arising from recent actions over pandemrix , a source involved in the rollout said , arguing that Ireland had a litigious culture .
Consent is also a key focus among nursing-home residents , some of whom may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sinn Féin ’ s health spokesman David Cullinane said it was important for the HSE to “ set out the reasoning why it seems to be taking a bit longer than other countries ” .
Mr Donnelly said the HSE would next week begin vaccinating in healthcare settings before moving directly into nursing homes , and “ in parallel ” immunising front line healthcare workers .
“ There ’ s a lot of work going on to make sure that the informed consent materials and procedures are correct , are legally robust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ materials are appropriate , ” he said on Sunday .
The State had the infrastructure in place to roll-out tens of thousands of vaccines per week in January , he added .
“ From the first week in January we will be receiving 40,000 doses per week .
That means we can vaccinate up to 20,000 people a week from early January.
” A HSE source said that between 2,000 and 4,000 people are likely to be vaccinated this week , rising to 20,000 a week from January 4th , and between 30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11th , if supplies are delivered into the country .
The vaccine roll-out programme will begin on Tuesday , one day earlier than planned , in one of four hospitals designated as initial sites for the administration .
Initially , the plan had been to go directly to nursing homes , but the National Immunisation Advisory Committee ( NIAC ) said it would prefer the first tranche be given in healthcare settings after some reports of anaphylaxis , an allergic reaction , in the UK and the United States .
Prof Karina Butler @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Irish Times that due to this , the NIAC had requested that vaccines initially be given “ in facilities where there was medical-support available , and in the intervening time vaccinators would gain confidence and experience handling it if there were reactions ” .
Training of vaccinators in the specific requirements for the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine will be ramped up this week , with some 200 vaccinators who normally work on school immunisation programmes , alongside 1,500 other healthcare professionals , likely to be involved .
Asked why Ireland was not rolling out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ executive Paul Reid said the top priority was to begin vaccinating people in a safe and effective way .
“ We want to build confidence very early and immediately with our own vaccine roll-out process , ” he said .
The HSE said it plans to complete all nursing-home vaccinations by February 28th , covering 70,000 staff and residents .
A draft vaccination schedule shows that the nursing-home programme will begin in earnest in the week beginning January 11th , with the vaccination schedule set to be finalised this Thursday following further consultation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several steps to produce training materials and other information on the vaccine could only be completed after approval for the Pfizer vaccine was given on December 21st .

Minister for Stephen Donnelly (left) observing the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arriving in this country. Photograph: Marc O’Sullivan/PA Wire
The State will vaccinate up to 20,000 people a week from early January, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said, arguing that Ireland will not be "left behind" amid criticism of the speed of the roll-out of the Covid-19 immunisation programme.
After several EU countries began the roll-out of their programmes over the weekend, Róisín Shortall, co-leader of the Social Democrats, said it seemed “there were logistical issues with registration and consent, both of which should have been sorted out by now”.
It is understood a particular focus is coming to bear on the issue of consent in the design of the programme. The State is wary over the potential for litigation arising from the vaccination programme, after it faced legal cases which touched on the issue of informed consent over Pandemrix, the swine-flu vaccine.
Senior medics, including Dr Tony Holohan, were in the spotlight arising from recent actions over pandemrix, a source involved in the rollout said, arguing that Ireland had a litigious culture.
READ MORE
Consent is also a key focus among nursing-home residents, some of whom may have impaired cognitive function or communication difficulties.
Taking longer
Sinn Féin's health spokesman David Cullinane said it was important for the HSE to "set out the reasoning why it seems to be taking a bit longer than other countries".
Mr Donnelly said the HSE would next week begin vaccinating in healthcare settings before moving directly into nursing homes, and "in parallel" immunising front line healthcare workers.
“There’s a lot of work going on to make sure that the informed consent materials and procedures are correct, are legally robust, and to make sure the training materials are appropriate,” he said on Sunday.
The State had the infrastructure in place to roll-out tens of thousands of vaccines per week in January, he added.
“From the first week in January we will be receiving 40,000 doses per week. That means we can vaccinate up to 20,000 people a week from early January.”
A HSE source said that between 2,000 and 4,000 people are likely to be vaccinated this week, rising to 20,000 a week from January 4th, and between 30,000 and 40,000 people per week from January 11th, if supplies are delivered into the country.
Earlier than planned
The vaccine roll-out programme will begin on Tuesday, one day earlier than planned, in one of four hospitals designated as initial sites for the administration. Initially, the plan had been to go directly to nursing homes, but the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) said it would prefer the first tranche be given in healthcare settings after some reports of anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction, in the UK and the United States.
Prof Karina Butler, chair of the committee, told The Irish Times that due to this, the NIAC had requested that vaccines initially be given "in facilities where there was medical-support available, and in the intervening time vaccinators would gain confidence and experience handling it if there were reactions".
Training of vaccinators in the specific requirements for the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine will be ramped up this week, with some 200 vaccinators who normally work on school immunisation programmes, alongside 1,500 other healthcare professionals, likely to be involved.
Top priority
Asked why Ireland was not rolling out the programme straight away, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said the top priority was to begin vaccinating people in a safe and effective way. "We want to build confidence very early and immediately with our own vaccine roll-out process," he said.
The HSE said it plans to complete all nursing-home vaccinations by February 28th, covering 70,000 staff and residents. A draft vaccination schedule shows that the nursing-home programme will begin in earnest in the week beginning January 11th, with the vaccination schedule set to be finalised this Thursday following further consultation with nursing-home operators.
The HSE said several steps to produce training materials and other information on the vaccine could only be completed after approval for the Pfizer vaccine was given on December 21st.


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--Covid-19 vaccine: Everything we know so far about the rollout

When will the first vaccines be given ?
Tuesday , according to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive ( HSE ) Paul Reid .
And where will this be ?
It is likely the first jab will be given in one of four hospital sites that have been selected as initial sites for immunisation next week : St James ’ s and Beaumont hospitals in Dublin , Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway .
How many doses do we have , and how many will we have ?
Currently there are just less than 10,000 doses of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and about 30,000 more are due this week .
This will be followed by 40,000 per week throughout January and early February , which will largely be devoted to the nursing homes ’ programme once it gets into gear .
The indications are that Moderna ’ s vaccine , which is similarly complex to administer , may be approved as early as January 6th , so there could be extra supplies coming into the State shortly after that happens .
All told it seems there will be upwards of 300,000 delivered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , more than enough to immunise the entire nursing home sector .
Who is first in line ?
Under the Government ’ s prioritisation plan over-65s living in long-term residential care facilities such as nursing homes are first in line , followed by healthcare workers .
However , the rollout in nursing homes will not begin until the week commencing January 4th , initially at a smaller scale , before substantially getting into gear the following week .
A draft timeline drawn up by the HSE starts from January 11th .
So if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it this week ?
It is likely that healthcare workers in the four hospitals , as well as older and more vulnerable patients , and those living in long-term residential care units on these campuses will be inoculated first .
In reality , sources involved in the rollout say that the initial push , while focused on nursing homes , will also immunise healthcare workers where it is convenient and pragmatic to do so – for example , if there are leftover doses and a healthcare setting is nearby .
Why aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homes ?
According to sources , rolling out the programme to nursing homes is particularly complicated for several reasons .
First of all , the network of care homes is very spread out , with some 580 around the country and more than 70,000 residents and staff to be immunised .
The issue of consent is also challenging , with protocols in place for establishing consent from those who are impaired in terms of cognitive function or their ability to communicate .
There is a huge logistical effort under way from nursing home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual pieces of information needed for each person wishing to be vaccinated .
This must be completed several days before the vaccination team is due to arrive .
Some nursing homes will be quicker to organise this than others , while the HSE said its schedule must also account for “ unforeseen events ” and Covid outbreaks .
The intention is to finalise the schedule for delivery this Thursday , and a full six-week programme – including two rounds of vaccinations – will be complete by February 28th , the HSE said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ back is due to concerns raised by the National Immunisiation Advisory Committee ( NIAC ) over reports of anaphylaxis among a small number of people who received the jab in the US and UK .
Prof Karina Butler told The Irish Times that due to this , the committee had requested that the first tranche of vaccines be given “ in facilities where there was medical support available , and in the intervening time vaccinators would gain confidence and experience handling it if there were reactions ” .
Why are other countries moving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the same regulatory timeline as Ireland began their vaccine rollout on Sunday , some with high-profile photoshoots involving senior politicians .
The HSE said that in addition to planning for the issues outlined above in nursing homes , several steps still had to be taken over the Christmas period before the vaccine was administered .
This included advice being published by the NIAC on the use of the vaccine , which took place on December 23rd , and the completion of public information materials , which were published on December 24th .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to support the informed consent programme .
The HSE ’ s National Immunisation Office also had to finalise training and education materials for vaccinators based on the NIAC advice , with online seminars planned for this week on administering the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine .
An IT system procured to support the rollout will be ready from day one , sources said .
In short , the State ’ s argument is that the logistical programme underpinning the rollout is far from simple – but it doesn ’ t end there .
It is understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk of any potential litigation arising from the vaccine rollout programme , due to recent cases taken in relation to the swine flu vaccine programme .
Sources indicated that this is one of the reasons that obtaining clear consent from those receiving the vaccine – and designing a programme that secures that consent before the vaccine is rolled out – is so important .
Senior medics , including Dr Tony Holohan , were in the spotlight arising from recent actions , one source said , arguing that there was a problematic culture around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine rollout say that the difference is effectively cosmetic , and point to the fact that while some European countries have moved quickly , others have not – the Netherlands , for example , will not start its programme until January 8th .
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told The Irish Times that “ there is no question of Ireland being left behind .
We have expert advice as to the steps we need to take in Ireland to make sure the vaccination programme is safe and effective ; we ’ re following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the case that the differences are skin deep , upset over who had needles in arms first will be short-lived .
However , if Ireland ’ s vaccination programme does seem substantially more sluggish than others it will become a significant political problem for the Government .
Covid outbreaks in nursing homes that are yet to be vaccinated will also be an emotive issue , and the State will face ongoing questions over why issues such as consent were not thrashed out months ago .
How many people will be immunised this week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said between 2,000 and 4,000 people may receive their first shot across the four sites this week .
What does the vaccine promotion leaflet say about potential risks or side effects ?
The HSE ’ s vaccination leaflet for the Pfizer vaccine addresses questions about the safety of the vaccine and the medical trials used in its development , as well as detailing side effects and issues relating to allergies , pregnancy , breastfeeding .
It also states that consent must be given to receive the vaccine , and states that the leaflet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must be read before the vaccine is administered .
Will the Government make it mandatory for certain groups ?
Any move to do this is fraught with constitutional difficulties , and the Government has not indicated any intention or desire to do so .
That is not to say it won ’ t become a de facto requirement for accessing services such as air travel or hospitality .

When will the first vaccines be given?
Tuesday, according to the chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE) Paul Reid.
And where will this be?
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Paul Reid of the HSE and Prof Brian Mac Craith of the high-level task force for the vaccination, with the first doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on Saturday. Photograph: Marc O’Sullivan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
It is likely the first jab will be given in one of four hospital sites that have been selected as initial sites for immunisation next week: St James’s and Beaumont hospitals in Dublin, Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway.
READ MORE
How many doses do we have, and how many will we have?
Currently there are just less than 10,000 doses of the two-step Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine in the country, and about 30,000 more are due this week. This will be followed by 40,000 per week throughout January and early February, which will largely be devoted to the nursing homes’ programme once it gets into gear.
The indications are that Moderna’s vaccine, which is similarly complex to administer, may be approved as early as January 6th, so there could be extra supplies coming into the State shortly after that happens. All told it seems there will be upwards of 300,000 delivered to the State before the end of February, more than enough to immunise the entire nursing home sector.
Who is first in line?
Under the Government’s prioritisation plan over-65s living in long-term residential care facilities such as nursing homes are first in line, followed by healthcare workers. However, the rollout in nursing homes will not begin until the week commencing January 4th, initially at a smaller scale, before substantially getting into gear the following week. A draft timeline drawn up by the HSE starts from January 11th.
So if not nursing homes, who will get it this week?
It is likely that healthcare workers in the four hospitals, as well as older and more vulnerable patients, and those living in long-term residential care units on these campuses will be inoculated first.
In reality, sources involved in the rollout say that the initial push, while focused on nursing homes, will also immunise healthcare workers where it is convenient and pragmatic to do so – for example, if there are leftover doses and a healthcare setting is nearby.
Why aren’t immunisation teams going straight to nursing homes?
According to sources, rolling out the programme to nursing homes is particularly complicated for several reasons. First of all, the network of care homes is very spread out, with some 580 around the country and more than 70,000 residents and staff to be immunised.
The issue of consent is also challenging, with protocols in place for establishing consent from those who are impaired in terms of cognitive function or their ability to communicate. There is a huge logistical effort under way from nursing home operators and the HSE, with 55 individual pieces of information needed for each person wishing to be vaccinated. This must be completed several days before the vaccination team is due to arrive.
Some nursing homes will be quicker to organise this than others, while the HSE said its schedule must also account for “unforeseen events” and Covid outbreaks. The intention is to finalise the schedule for delivery this Thursday, and a full six-week programme – including two rounds of vaccinations – will be complete by February 28th, the HSE said.
Another reason nursing homes have been put back is due to concerns raised by the National Immunisiation Advisory Committee (NIAC) over reports of anaphylaxis among a small number of people who received the jab in the US and UK. Prof Karina Butler told The Irish Times that due to this, the committee had requested that the first tranche of vaccines be given "in facilities where there was medical support available, and in the intervening time vaccinators would gain confidence and experience handling it if there were reactions".
Why are other countries moving more quickly?
Several EU countries subject to the same regulatory timeline as Ireland began their vaccine rollout on Sunday, some with high-profile photoshoots involving senior politicians.
The HSE said that in addition to planning for the issues outlined above in nursing homes, several steps still had to be taken over the Christmas period before the vaccine was administered. This included advice being published by the NIAC on the use of the vaccine, which took place on December 23rd, and the completion of public information materials, which were published on December 24th.
These will now be printed and distributed to support the informed consent programme.
The HSE's National Immunisation Office also had to finalise training and education materials for vaccinators based on the NIAC advice, with online seminars planned for this week on administering the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine.
An IT system procured to support the rollout will be ready from day one, sources said.
In short, the State’s argument is that the logistical programme underpinning the rollout is far from simple – but it doesn’t end there.
It is understood that there are concerns about managing the risk of any potential litigation arising from the vaccine rollout programme, due to recent cases taken in relation to the swine flu vaccine programme. Sources indicated that this is one of the reasons that obtaining clear consent from those receiving the vaccine – and designing a programme that secures that consent before the vaccine is rolled out – is so important.
Senior medics, including Dr Tony Holohan, were in the spotlight arising from recent actions, one source said, arguing that there was a problematic culture around medical negligence.
Sources involved in the vaccine rollout say that the difference is effectively cosmetic, and point to the fact that while some European countries have moved quickly, others have not – the Netherlands, for example, will not start its programme until January 8th.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly told The Irish Times that "there is no question of Ireland being left behind. We have expert advice as to the steps we need to take in Ireland to make sure the vaccination programme is safe and effective; we're following that very closely."
If it is the case that the differences are skin deep, upset over who had needles in arms first will be short-lived. However, if Ireland’s vaccination programme does seem substantially more sluggish than others it will become a significant political problem for the Government.
Covid outbreaks in nursing homes that are yet to be vaccinated will also be an emotive issue, and the State will face ongoing questions over why issues such as consent were not thrashed out months ago.
How many people will be immunised this week?
Sources involved in planning the rollout said between 2,000 and 4,000 people may receive their first shot across the four sites this week.
What does the vaccine promotion leaflet say about potential risks or side effects?
The HSE's vaccination leaflet for the Pfizer vaccine addresses questions about the safety of the vaccine and the medical trials used in its development, as well as detailing side effects and issues relating to allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding. It also states that consent must be given to receive the vaccine, and states that the leaflet and a second patient--information leaflet must be read before the vaccine is administered.
Will the Government make it mandatory for certain groups?
Any move to do this is fraught with constitutional difficulties, and the Government has not indicated any intention or desire to do so. That is not to say it won’t become a de facto requirement for accessing services such as air travel or hospitality.


theirishtimes--2020-12-28--Domestic abuse victims to be allowed seek barring orders remotely

Victims of domestic violence will be able to appear in court remotely from women ’ s refuges , to seek and obtain barring and protection orders , under a planned new legal project .
Domestic violence courts have remained open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and victims have been able to access them in person and remotely .
However , a small number of safety orders have been handed down remotely to date , typically to women accessing the court via webcam from their own home .
Under the new system , victims will be able to remotely access the courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is hoped this will provide a safer forum for victims than the family home .
It will also allow remote access for people who do not possess a device or internet connection capable of supporting video calls .
The initiative is being co-ordinated by Safe Ireland , the umbrella group for 38 front-line domestic violence services .
Safe Ireland is seeking to hire a consultant to lead the project , which it hopes to have completed by the second half of 2021 .
Final regulations allowing the project to proceed are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next two months .
Much of the required regulations are already in place following the passage of emergency remote court legislation in August .
Safe Ireland has been engaged in extensive consultations with the Courts Service this year to allow for “ the establishment of online/remote hearings for [ domestic violence ] applications from the premises of domestic violence services ” , according to tendering documents .
Courts Service officials and president of the District Court Colin Daly have given permission for domestic violence services to become “ trusted intermediaries ” .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote courts from suitable , trauma-sensitive premises ” , it said .
Staff at the premises will manage the “ technical , administrative and support work ” for each hearing .
Victims of domestic violence will be able to access the courts through at least 26 domestic violence services around the country .
Reports of domestic violence have increased sharply during the pandemic as victims are forced to spend more times in their family homes with abusers .
Information supplied by Garda Headquarters to the Policing Authority states that assaults in the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though assaults in public places have dropped by a third during that same period .
Under Operation Faoiseamh , a dedicated operation targeting violence in the home during the pandemic , gardaí received 22,540 reports of domestic violence and related crimes from March 12th to November 3rd , up almost 17 per cent on the same period last year .
More than 200 prosecutions have been brought for domestic violence offences since April .
From next year the Garda hopes to start basing officers in domestic violence services to encourage victims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stressed that despite the pandemic , the courts remained open to victims seeking protection , barring or safety orders in person if they wished .
The Garda has reiterated that Covid-19 travel restrictions do not apply to people fleeing danger at home .
• Women ’ s Aid provides a national 24-7 helpline for domestic violence victims on 1800-341900 .
Safe ireland.ie has a list of local services

Reports of domestic violence have increased sharply during the pandemic. Photograph: iStock
Victims of domestic violence will be able to appear in court remotely from women’s refuges, to seek and obtain barring and protection orders, under a planned new legal project.
Domestic violence courts have remained open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and victims have been able to access them in person and remotely.
However, a small number of safety orders have been handed down remotely to date, typically to women accessing the court via webcam from their own home.
Under the new system, victims will be able to remotely access the courts from domestic violence centres around the country.
READ MORE
It is hoped this will provide a safer forum for victims than the family home. It will also allow remote access for people who do not possess a device or internet connection capable of supporting video calls.
The initiative is being co-ordinated by Safe Ireland, the umbrella group for 38 front-line domestic violence services.
Safe Ireland is seeking to hire a consultant to lead the project, which it hopes to have completed by the second half of 2021.
Final regulations allowing the project to proceed are expected to be in place within the next two months. Much of the required regulations are already in place following the passage of emergency remote court legislation in August.
Trusted intermediaries
Safe Ireland has been engaged in extensive consultations with the Courts Service this year to allow for “the establishment of online/remote hearings for [domestic violence] applications from the premises of domestic violence services”, according to tendering documents.
Courts Service officials and president of the District Court Colin Daly have given permission for domestic violence services to become "trusted intermediaries". These will "facilitate the operating of the remote courts from suitable, trauma-sensitive premises", it said.
Staff at the premises will manage the “technical, administrative and support work” for each hearing.
Victims of domestic violence will be able to access the courts through at least 26 domestic violence services around the country.
Reports of domestic violence have increased sharply during the pandemic as victims are forced to spend more times in their family homes with abusers.
Information supplied by Garda Headquarters to the Policing Authority states that assaults in the home have increased 12 per cent since March, though assaults in public places have dropped by a third during that same period.
Garda operation
Under Operation Faoiseamh, a dedicated operation targeting violence in the home during the pandemic, gardaí received 22,540 reports of domestic violence and related crimes from March 12th to November 3rd, up almost 17 per cent on the same period last year.
More than 200 prosecutions have been brought for domestic violence offences since April. From next year the Garda hopes to start basing officers in domestic violence services to encourage victims to report crimes.
A Courts Service spokesman stressed that despite the pandemic, the courts remained open to victims seeking protection, barring or safety orders in person if they wished. The Garda has reiterated that Covid-19 travel restrictions do not apply to people fleeing danger at home.


theirishtimes--2020-12-29--Government may impose Level 5 lockdown due to rise in hospitalisations

The Government may be forced to implement full Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions because of serious concerns about the number of people being hospitalised with coronavirus and the high positivity rate of those being tested for the disease .
The number of people being hospitalised with coronavirus has “ increased sharply ” in the past two days , as the first effects of the third wave of the virus begin to hit the healthcare system .
Dr Tony Holohan , the Chief Medical Officer , said the “ concerning trend ” of increasing hospital admissions reflected the “ sharp increase ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past 10 days .
“ We have now exceeded the cumulative number of people hospitalised in this third wave than in the second .
Hospitalisations have increased sharply in the last two days , ” he said .
A senior Government source said that tighter restrictions were not discussed at Monday ’ s Cabinet meeting but “ you couldn ’ t rule out the Government taking further action in the coming days if the situation continues to deteriorate .
“ We ’ re at Level 5 with a few tweaks and [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and not 5km , ” the source said .
“ While we ’ re seeing much lower numbers today and yesterday , Government is being told that is very much artificially low because of the time of year and there is an expectation that we ’ ll see very , very high figures later this week , ” the source said .
It is understood Dr Holohan reiterated his view to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly in advance of the Cabinet meeting that full Level 5 restrictions may be required .
There were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of whom 41 had been admitted in the previous 24 hours .
Some 30 patients were in intensive care , with five admitted in the previous 24 hours .
Dr Holohan said public health officials were also concerned by a “ steep rise in the positivity rates ” from community testing , a metric indicating how prevalent the virus was among the general population .
The current seven-day average rate of positive tests had risen to 9.2 per cent , up from 5.2 per cent on December 18th .
“ This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strongly advising everyone to stay safely at home to avoid transmitting or catching this virus , as it continues to circulate widely , ” he said .
A further 765 confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) on Monday , as well as one further coronavirus-related death .
Dr Holohan said the drop in new cases compared to last week was likely due to fewer people being referred and turning up for testing in the days around Christmas .
Infectious diseases expert Prof Sam McConkey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in “ significantly high ” numbers of cases being reported from the middle of this week onwards .
Prof McConkey said the increase in hospitalisations was “ almost completely inevitable ” given the country was beginning to see more than 1,000 new cases a day .
The first Covid-19 vaccinations are expected to be administered at one of four acute hospitals on Tuesday in Dublin , Cork and Galway .
Mr Donnelly updated the Cabinet on the vaccination plan and stressed to colleagues the importance of effective communications in relation to the vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met the high-level taskforce on the vaccination programme and told them the only constraint they should face is supply , and whatever resources they need will be in place .
A number of Cabinet members sought assurance that as supply “ ramps up ” , health authorities will be able to match that with sufficient personnel in place to administer injections , and that there would not be a significant timelag between the vaccines arriving and people receiving them .
Mr Donnelly assured colleagues that inoculation would be a full seven-day operation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was very concerned about the new variant of Covid-19 which originated in the UK , and its possible impact on Ireland .
But speaking at Government Buildings he defended the robustness of new measures the Government introduced just before Christmas to combat a rising incidence of Covid-19 .
“ We have introduced very severe Level 5 measures , ” he said .
“ The only areas not covered are non-essential retail , the impact of which has been shown to be not huge , and ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 km from home restrictions.
” He said a lot depended on behaviour , both individual and collective .

The Government may look to reintroduce the 5km travel limit. File photograph: The Irish Times
The Government may be forced to implement full Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions because of serious concerns about the number of people being hospitalised with coronavirus and the high positivity rate of those being tested for the disease.
The number of people being hospitalised with coronavirus has “increased sharply” in the last two days, as the first effects of the third wave of the virus begin to hit the healthcare system.
Dr Tony Holohan, the State's chief medical officer, said the "concerning trend" of increasing hospital admissions reflected the "sharp increase" in the rates of Covid-19 seen in the last 10 days. "We have now exceeded the cumulative number of people hospitalised in this third wave than in the second. Hospitalisations have increased sharply in the last two days," he said.
Hospital Report
A senior Government source said tighter restrictions were not discussed at Monday’s Cabinet meeting but that “you couldn’t rule out the Government taking further action in the coming days if the situation continues to deteriorate”.
READ MORE
“We’re at Level 5 with a few tweaks and it’s county and not 5km,” travel limits, the source said. “While we’re seeing much lower numbers today and yesterday Government is being told that is very much artificially low” because of the time of year, and there is an expectation that we’ll see very, very high figures later this week,” the source said.
It is understood Dr Holohan reiterated his view to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly prior to the Cabinet meeting that full Level 5 restrictions may be required, with more people in hospital now at the start of the third wave than at the peak of the second wave of the virus.
Intensive care
There were 359 Covid-19 patients in hospital on Monday, of which 41 had been admitted in the previous 24 hours. Some 30 patients were in intensive care, with five admitted in the previous 24 hours.
Dr Holohan said public health officials were also concerned by a “steep rise in the positivity rates” from community testing, a metric indicating how prevalent the virus was among the general population.
The current seven-day average rate of positive tests had risen to 9.2 per cent, up from 5.2 per cent on December 18th. “This is just one more reason why we are strongly advising everyone to stay safely at home to avoid transmitting or catching this virus, as it continues to circulate widely,” he said.
A further 765 confirmed Covid-19 cases were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Monday, as well as one further coronavirus related-death.
Dr Holohan said the drop in new cases compared to last week was likely due to fewer people being referred and turning up for testing in the days around Christmas.
Infectious diseases expert Prof Sam McConkey said he was concerned this would result in “significantly high” numbers of cases being reported from the middle of this week onwards. Prof McConkey said the increase in hospitalisations was “almost completely inevitable” given the country was beginning to see over 1,000 new cases a day.
Vaccinations
The first Covid-19 vaccinations are expected to be administered at one of four acute hospitals today in Dublin, Cork and Galway.
Mr Donnelly updated the Cabinet on the vaccination plan and stressed to colleagues the importance of effective communications on the vaccine.
The Minister had earlier on Monday met the high-level taskforce on the vaccination programme and told it the only constraint members should face is supply, and that whatever resources they need will be in place.
But concerns were expressed that the vaccination programme was happening with a backdrop of very concerning virus figures and worry about the new strain of the virus.
A number of Cabinet members sought assurance that as supply “ramps up” health authorities will be able to match that with sufficient personnel in place to administer injections, and that there would not be a significant time lag between the vaccines arriving and people being vaccinated.
Mr Donnelly assured colleagues that inoculation would be a full seven-day operation and not a five-day system as has been suggested. He reiterated the only constraint would be supply and all resources would be in place.
The Minister also assured Cabinet that they were engaging with GPs and pharmacies after a number of Ministers expressed concern that different GPs were out raising questions about the pace of vaccines and the importance of engaging with them.
It is also expected a decision may be taken on Tuesday over whether to extend or drop the ban on flights and ferries from Britain into Ireland, one Government source said.
The travel ban had been put in place over fears of a new Covid-19 variant identified in southeast England, and last week the ban was extended until December 31st.
The new Covid variant, which is believed to be significantly more transmissible, has since been detected in the Republic.
Dr Mike Ryan, World Health Organization (WHO) health emergencies executive director, said Britain should not be "unnecessarily punished" for alerting the world to the new strain of the virus it identified.
Speaking at a WHO press briefing on Monday, Dr Ryan said "shutting down countries with absolute measures" was not feasible, or necessarily the best public health response. "It's really important that transparent and open countries, like South Africa and the UK, who pursue science on behalf of us all, are not unduly and unnecessarily punished for their openness," he said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Monday said he was really concerned about the new variant of Covid-19 and its possible impact on Ireland. Speaking before a special Cabinet meeting he said rapidly rising numbers of Covid-19 cases in the run-up to Christmas were also of concern.
Mr Martin also defended the new measures the Government has introduced in the face of rising Covid-19 levels. “We have introduced very severe level 5 measures,” he said.
“The only areas not covered are non-essential retail, the impact of which has been shown to be not huge, and [the decision not to reintroduce] the five-kilometre from home restrictions.”
The Taoiseach said a lot depended on behaviour, individual and collective. “That is the key,” he said, adding reducing social contacts, wearing masks, and observing other public health protocols were the best way of keeping numbers down.


theirishtimes--2020-12-29--GPs report rise in Covid-related calls and test referrals

GPs across the country have reported an increase in calls relating to Covid-19 and referrals for tests over recent days .
Dublin GP Dr Ray Walley said there was a 50 per cent increase in calls to the out-of-hours service D Doc on Christmas Day and a 100 per cent increase on St Stephen ’ s Day compared with last year .
“ Seventy per cent of those calls were Covid-related , which explains obviously why the numbers have greatly increased ... D Doc covers virtually all of Dublin , ” he said .
Dr Walley said he had received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the HSE on Monday .
“ We need to be careful with not-detected notifications – this does not mean you don ’ t have Covid if you are symptomatic , which can be a mistake people can make , ” he added .
Monaghan GP Dr Illona Duffy said Monday had been “ exceptionally busy ” with Covid-19 presentations across all age groups .
“ Over the last few days we ’ ve referred hundreds for testing .
There was well over 20 referrals today and that was just in a six-hour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ ve had lots of people who are close contacts and others who are symptomatic with no history of a close contact.
” Dr Duffy said she expected “ a very rapid rise ” in the reported number of Covid-19 cases in the next five to seven days .
“ We knew this was going to happen , the rates were too high prior to Christmas so we knew there was too much Covid circulating in the lead-up to Christmas , ” she said .
“ Obviously now , with Christmas here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s natural and we couldn ’ t stop that .
We knew the aftermath would be bad – a rise in presentations and , therefore , a rise in Covid numbers.
” Kerry GP Dr Gary Stack said Monday had been “ quite busy ” with 40-50 per cent of calls related to Covid-19 and mostly younger people were presenting with symptoms .
Paul Reid , chief executive of the HSE , said on Sunday that testing and tracing volumes were “ now at alarming levels ” .
He said 23,000 tests had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest daily total with community positivity reaching 10 per cent .
The National Public Health Emergency Team ( Nphet ) has also said it expects to see “ a large increase ” in cases reported over the coming days .
Of the 765 cases reported on Monday , 291 were in Dublin , 63 in Cork , 59 in Monaghan , 49 in Louth , 43 in Meath with the remaining 260 cases spread across all other counties .
Some 70 per cent of those cases were aged under 45 years while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s 14-day incidence rate is now 220.1 per 100,000 population .
Donegal has the highest incidence rate ( 425.3 ) , followed by Monaghan ( 384.5 ) and Louth ( 342.2 ) .
Dublin ’ s 14-day incidence rate is 265 per 100,000 population .
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the “ steep rise ” in positivity rates in community testing indicated “ the virus is increasing its foothold out in our communities ” .
“ This is just one more reason why we are strongly advising everyone to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catching this virus , as it continues to circulate widely , ” he said .

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan says the ‘steep rise’ in positivity rates shows ‘the virus is increasing its foothold out in our communities’. File photograph: Alan Betson
GPs across the country have reported an increase in calls relating to Covid-19 and referrals for tests over recent days.
Dublin GP Dr Ray Walley said there was a 50 per cent increase in calls to the out-of-hours service D Doc on Christmas Day and a 100 per cent increase on St Stephen's Day compared with last year.
“Seventy per cent of those calls were Covid-related, which explains obviously why the numbers have greatly increased... D Doc covers virtually all of Dublin,” he said.
Hospital Report
Dr Walley said he had received a “number of positive notifications” from the HSE on Monday.
READ MORE
“We need to be careful with not-detected notifications – this does not mean you don’t have Covid if you are symptomatic, which can be a mistake people can make,” he added.
Monaghan GP Dr Illona Duffy said Monday had been "exceptionally busy" with Covid-19 presentations across all age groups.
“Over the last few days we’ve referred hundreds for testing. There was well over 20 referrals today and that was just in a six-hour shift,” she said.
“We’ve had lots of people who are close contacts and others who are symptomatic with no history of a close contact.”
Dr Duffy said she expected “a very rapid rise” in the reported number of Covid-19 cases in the next five to seven days.
“We knew this was going to happen, the rates were too high prior to Christmas so we knew there was too much Covid circulating in the lead-up to Christmas,” she said.
“Obviously now, with Christmas here, people are meeting, that’s natural and we couldn’t stop that. We knew the aftermath would be bad – a rise in presentations and, therefore, a rise in Covid numbers.”
Kerry GP Dr Gary Stack said Monday had been "quite busy" with 40-50 per cent of calls related to Covid-19 and mostly younger people were presenting with symptoms.
Paul Reid, chief executive of the HSE, said on Sunday that testing and tracing volumes were "now at alarming levels". He said 23,000 tests had been completed in one day, the highest daily total with community positivity reaching 10 per cent.
‘Large increase’
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has also said it expects to see “a large increase” in cases reported over the coming days.
Of the 765 cases reported on Monday, 291 were in Dublin, 63 in Cork, 59 in Monaghan, 49 in Louth, 43 in Meath with the remaining 260 cases spread across all other counties.
Some 70 per cent of those cases were aged under 45 years while the median age was 33 years.
Ireland's 14-day incidence rate is now 220.1 per 100,000 population. Donegal has the highest incidence rate (425.3), followed by Monaghan (384.5) and Louth (342.2). Dublin's 14-day incidence rate is 265 per 100,000 population.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the "steep rise" in positivity rates in community testing indicated "the virus is increasing its foothold out in our communities".
“This is just one more reason why we are strongly advising everyone to stay safely at home to avoid transmitting or catching this virus, as it continues to circulate widely,” he said.