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THE NUMBER OF people in hospital with Covid-19 today has fallen to 898 – less than half of the peak reached last month – along with 169 in an intensive care unit.
This morning, HSE CEO Paul Reid provided the figures and called them “further welcome news for many patients and families”.
He said: “Both numbers are still higher than our peak last April but we get a good sense that we’re on the right side of the curve now.”
Public health officials have stressed this week that Ireland appears to have passed the peak of cases, hospitalisations and deaths during this third wave of Covid-19.
They have, however, stressed caution be taken and that it’ll take some time before case numbers are at an acceptable level to begin to re-open the country again.
This weekend, frontline healthcare workers such as GPs and nurses will continue to receive a Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to people over the age of 85 from Monday.
It is expected it will take a number of weeks for everyone within this cohort to receive the first dose of vaccine. Once they’re completed, those aged between 80-84 will receive a vaccine next, followed by 75-79s and 70-74s.
Health authorities hope that everyone over the age of 70 can be fully vaccinated – having received two doses – by mid-May.
Yesterday, HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said that the vaccine rollout must reach every road in Ireland as the next phase is set to begin.
“We’ve been working hard with the GP community over the past few weeks to address this priority group number three,” he said.
“We want to move beyond the work we’ve done in the residential care facilities, move beyond as we complete the vaccination of frontline health care workers to this older group.
“For a couple of weeks now, to finalise this rollout, we are using the intelligence of the GP community, using the advocacy they have and using the engagement they have with older patients.”
“Source: The Journal”
Seriously.
Does the ministry for Irish not speak Irish either, wtf
yet again we see one rule for tds and another for the rest of us. what employer would offer me a job if my cv stated I’d no knowledge of an essential part of the position. do you think the employer would take me on and then pay for me to gain knowledge in the subject. it’s just bonkers. they won’t apply the same rights for everyone else and only last week it’s transpires that a private company has offered to pay for a teacher in the aran islands, no funding for the kids one on one there courtesy of the govt, no that only applies to the pampered few in leinster house.
Hope he’s a quick learner because they don’t have a lot of time left in office.
Poor Joe doesn’t realise Montreal and Nova Scotia are in Canada, good lad!
On the continent of North America….containing Americans… Shocker!!!
For those of you who are perhaps not too happy with Joe McHugh, in particular with his recent decision to stop the vital aeroplane service to The Aran Islands, celebrated Ghaelacht Islands, sign this petition now. If Joe McHugh really cared for the Ghaeltacht, he would’t be getting rid of such a necessary service.
Petition here: https://www.change.org/p/joe-mchugh-enda-kenny-save-the-aran-islands-aeroplane-service/
It’s getting replaced by a helicopter service. Is that not worth mentioning or do we just have to get in a rage about everything?
Helis can operate in rougher weather and the winning bid came in €300,000 lower than the encumbent what’s the problem?
it’s change. they just don’t like change for the sake of it, even though the company operating them are also from Galway and have to provide the same service for the same price to islanders.
Not like the Eircode tender where the winner gave the third placed a juicy contract in UK 2 years after they mysteriously withdrew. And winner will give €23.6 million of the €27 million tender to second place An Post. And even though Loc8 code offered a perfect post code for free…could a tender be any more corrupt?
He was fluent in bull shit long before he was handed his cushy number. Seems to be a prerequisite for being a FG TD though.
The question about being taught by a non native teacher was a bit odd seeing that the vast majority of school kids in Ireland are taught Irish, French, German etc by non native speaker teachers. In fact worldwide more than 80% of language teachers are not native speakers.
Is this lad a mature student or an intern? Seems like an expensive education at our expense. Btw the ersi report shows an increase of 18% in attitude, that’s not the small figure Enda was referring to, would someone ask some pertinent questions please.
A documentary on radio 1 showed how bad mc hugh is at irish, you don’t pick it up in a year. He only lives a few miles from the gaeltacht too.
Good for him. I applaud him learning and showing by example it can easily be done with hard work and determination besides moaning about him not been born into an Irish speaking family.
You learn Irish at school, or you would do if there was any competence around the subject. Handing out the portfolio like a treat has it this way, this lad seems to be on a personal journey, he’s a bloody Minister.
No comment.
another parasite.
“Minister Qualifies”
An educational achievement for Enda the Educator, pyrrhic for Enda the Taoiseach.
Tir gan teanga ……..
Tir gan eolas!
…agus tír gon anam. :(
I’d be surprise if Joe keeps his seat at next election. Donegal is going from 6 seats (2 x 3 seat constuitency) to a 5 seater (with chunk of South Donegal going into new “Sligo–Leitrim” constituency.
The fact that he was given job in first place was probably to rise his profile come the election, same can be said for Heather Humphries whose seat is also probably marginal.
Who gives a f**k, really.. This is not news
Perhaps he could visit the Aran Islands. He mightn’t learn many beannachtaí but would definitely get invaluable experience of mallachtaí, given his ridiculous decision to stop the Air Aran service. As they say McHugh Níl son tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin.
*aon*
Bye bye Joe
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