GOOD MORNING. Here’s all the news that you need to know about as you start your day.
1. In our main story this morning, Gráinne Ní Aodha reports that workers have expressed their frustration at not being facilitated to attend vaccine appointments during work hours, with some docked pay and others being told to work extra shifts to ‘pay back’ time.
Among the types of businesses that employees have claimed are not facilitating vaccine appointments are a semi-state company, creches, and large retailers.
2. The guidelines for indoor dining were published last night and set out that a maximum of 6 persons aged 13 or over are permitted at a table.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) will be the primary evidence for proof of immunity or vaccination, but other proof of immunity will be set out in regulations, which will be published by Sunday, and will include the HSE Vaccination Record.
3. Temperatures are soon to return to more average values for mid-summer.
Met Éireann says today will be dry and sunny, though a few heavy or possibly thundery showers may develop in some western parts later on. Highest temperatures of 23 to 28 degrees generally.
4. The ESB has issued a safety reminder about the dangers and potentially serious consequences of swimming in any ESB reservoir.
These waters include the reservoirs at Poulaphouca in County Wicklow, Golden Falls and Leixlip in County Kildare, Inniscarra and Carrigadrohid in County Cork, the Ardnacrusha headrace and tailrace canal in County Clare and Assaroe, Lough Nacung and Lough Dunlewey in County Donegal.
5. Have you been woken up by early-morning squawking of seagulls over the past few months?
Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland explains why the gulls are so loud right now, telling The Journal that it is because this is the tail end of gull breeding season.
6. Need to get up to speed on the Irish contenders at the Olympics as well as the 23 sports that will take place over the course of today in Tokyo.
You can catch up here on Paul O’Donovan and Fintan McCarthy put down a marker, as well as the disappointment for medal hopeful Jack Woolley in the Taekwondo 58kg category.
7. A group of Social Democrats members have called for a leadership contest to be held, however a statement from the Social Democrats parliamentary party says it is “united behind co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín Shortall”.
8. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Sydney and other Australian cities to protest lockdown restrictions amid another surge in coronavirus cases.
The protest comes as Covid-19 case numbers in the state reached another record with 163 new infections in the last 24 hours.
Sydney has been locked down for the past four weeks, with residents only able to leave home with a reasonable excuse.
9. Despite indoor hospitality being allowed to reopen on Monday, a number of premises won’t be reopening their doors.
Along with all the logistical headaches of another uncertain reopening on a tight timeframe, many in the hospitality sector have been grappling with the increased likelihood of unvaccinated staff being exposed to Covid-19 in an indoor setting.
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