GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.

A message from the CMO

1. Dr Tony Holohan has issued an appeal to the public this morning to take actions to help reduce the spread of Covid-19, which is placing an “enormous burden” on the health system. In a statement the Chief Medical Officer also urged people who have symptoms of the illness not to do an antigen test and instead to book a PCR test online or through their GP and isolate.

“Unfortunately, our data suggests that the majority of people who are using antigen tests at present are symptomatic and that of those, the majority who get a ‘negative’ result are incorrectly assuming that this means they no longer have to self-isolate or get a PCR test – potentially placing many others at risk of Covid-19,” he said.

Fresh riots in the Netherlands

2. In a second night of riots over coronavirus measures, Dutch police were pelted with stones and fireworks. The Netherlands went back into Western Europe’s first partial lockdown of the winter last Saturday with at least three weeks of curbs, and is now planning to ban unvaccinated people from entering some venues, the so-called 2G option.

Peaceful protests took place in a number of cities earlier in the day but demonstrations turned violent in some areas later in the evening. Five police officers were injured and at least seven people arrested.

Reaction to mother and baby home scheme

3. Survivors of mother and baby homes have said they were disappointed by the details of the government’s €800 million redress scheme, which was announced on Tuesday.

Speaking to The Journal‘s Órla Ryan, one woman said basing the amount of compensation mothers receive on their length of stay in an institution was “disgusting” and “absolutely disgraceful”.

“They don’t give a damn. It comes down to the same thing, ‘get on with it and get over it’.

Farmers’ protest

4. A convoy of tractors and farm vehicles will arrive in Dublin’s city centre at lunchtime today in a protest against the government’s stances on the Common Agricultural Policy and the Climate Action Plan.

The Irish Farmers’ Association has called on the government to provide funding and a ‘farm-level plan’ that farmers can work towards.

Covid cases in schools

5. There has been a shift this week in how Covid-19 cases in schools are being dealt with by school management and public-heath authorities. Principals can tell parents there is a confirmed case in their school and antigen tests are to be used in schools.

Our reporter Gráinne Ní Aodha has taken a look at what we know about how Covid is behaving in school settings.

A reported sighting of Peng Shuai

6. State-affiliated media in China has posted a video clip purporting to show tennis player Peng Shuai at a tennis tournament as a guest.

The tennis star had not been seen publicly since she made allegations against a former Chinese vice-premier two weeks ago.

Article 16

7. The UK’s Brexit negotiator David Frost has said the UK will have to safeguard its position “in other ways” if it is not able to reach an agreement with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

It comes hours after campaigners gathered at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic to warn the UK government against triggering Article 16.

Bird flu in Monaghan

8. Cases of bird flu have been detected among a flock of turkeys on a farm in Co Monaghan, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed. The highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 has already been confirmed in birds across the island and in Europe in recent weeks. 

Restriction zones are being set up around the area where additional movement control and surveillance measures will be put in place.

Appeal for missing person

9. Gardaí are appealing for the public’s help tracing the whereabouts of a 24-year-old man who went missing from the Clondalkin area of Dublin on Tuesday.

Hasif Khan is described as 5 foot 7 inches in height with a slim build, black hair and brown eyes.