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Coronavirus: 14 More Deaths Confirmed

Wednesday, 1 April 2020 06:00

Latest news updates for 1st April 2020.

20.35 - UK

A semi-retired doctor has died  in the UK after contracting Covid-19 two weeks ago. 

68-year-old Alfa Saadu had worked for the NHS for more than 40 years - most recently at Harlow in Essex.

His son Dani has paid tribute.

20.28 - Harris

It's hoped the benefits of the restrictions announced last Friday will be evident in the coming days. 

People were asked to stay at home with few exceptions. 

Health Minister, Simon Harris, says there have been some encouraging signs that the measures are working.

 

 

19.50 - UK

In the UK the Ministry of Defence has contacted employers to tell them they are calling up 3-thousand military reservists as part of the coronavirus response.

The group are those with specialist skills needed to help the effort and they will be expected to serve for six months as part of the COVID-19 support force.

No one already working for the NHS or front line services is included.

19.34 - Barretstown

The chief executive of childrens charity, Barretstown, says the coronavirus crisis is hurting its fundraising efforts with donations being cancelled on a daily basis.

The Kildare campus offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with a serious illness

It is no longer able to provide its usual services due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is now hosting a virtual camp for those due to attend over the coming weeks.

CEO of Barretstown, Dee Ahearn, says the charity's finances are being hit hard by Covid-19:

 

19.34 - Education

The Education Minister says he's determined to make sure the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert go ahead.

There's been question marks over whether the state exams can proceed as planned in June.

Schools will remain shut until at least April 12th amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Education Minister Joe McHugh says students will be made aware if there's any change of plan:

 

17.39 - Figures

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 14 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died.

· 10 deaths located in the east, 4 in the South

· The patients included 7 females and 7 males.

· 8 patients were reported as having underlying health conditions.

There have now been 85 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

The median age of deaths in Ireland is 82.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 212 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland, as at 1pm, Wednesday 1st April.

There are now 3,447 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Westmeath had three additional cases confirmed today bringing the total to 80. 

There are six new confirmed cases in Offaly. 40 people have the illness in the Faithful county. 

Meanwhile, there is only one new case in Laois - with the total number now at 16.

The HSE is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

Today’s data from HPSC, as of midnight, Monday 20th March (2,990 cases), reveals:

· 48% are male and 50% are female, with 134 clusters involving 563 cases

· Median age of confirmed cases is 48 years

· 834 cases (28%) have been hospitalised

· Of those hospitalised, 126 cases have been admitted to ICU

· 752 cases (25%) are associated with healthcare workers

· Dublin has the highest number of cases at 1,645 (55% of all cases) followed by Cork with 255 cases (8%)

· Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 60%, close contact accounts for 21%, travel abroad accounts for 18%

Research conducted on behalf of the Department of Health shows that 65% of people in Ireland are engaging in digital interactions with family and friends.

The nationally representative online survey of 1,270 adults conducted today, and which will be conducted twice weekly, reveals:

· 89% believe current social distancing measures are appropriate

· 94% are confident in their ability to adhere to new restrictions

· 85% feel they have adapted to changes since COVID-19 and know the steps to take if they develop symptoms

Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “Our research suggests that 1 in 3 people are worried about their health, with 3 out of 4 worried about the health of their families and friends.

“People are taking action to look after their wellbeing. Two thirds of people are conversing with family and friend’s by using phone and internet.

“Restrictions do not mean you stop maintaining your relationships or your health. Adapt your hobbies; go for walks, exercise and do the things that maintain wellbeing within the limits of physical distancing and public health advice.

“I can confirm that expanded contact tracing for all confirmed cases for the 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms, as decided by National Public Health Emergency Team will commence this week. This will reduce transmission of the virus.”

Dr. Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer, HSE said; “The public health messaging remains the same for all patients awaiting testing. Assume you have COVID19 and isolate. Each and everyone of you can break the chain of transmission of the virus, save lives and reduce illness among vulnerable groups.”

17.10 - Accommodation

There are concerns about rent a room and digs accommodation being exempt from recent measures to stop evictions during the crisis. 

The government says it's looking into the issue and will provide an update in due course.  

 Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach says they're asking landlords and renters to reach workable agreements; 

17.05 - Intensive Care

People who are admitted to intensive care units with covid-19 and survive are spending a median time of seven days in ICU.

The Health Information and Quality Authority has developed a series of ‘Evidence Summaries’ to support the National Public Health Emergency Team in its response to coronavirus.

HIQA has looked at studies in China, Singapore and the United States but says the quality of the evidence is low, while two of them have not been peer-reviewed.

It says covid-19 patients admitted to ICU who do not survive spend a median time of 8 days there.

 

  • 16.55 - Education

    The Education Minister hopes the re-assignment of special needs assistants can help take the pressure off frontline staff in the fight against Covid 19.

    The country's 16 thousand SNAs are being offered temporary new roles during the pandemic, with community healthcare services for disabled children identified as a "priority area".

    Minister Joe McHugh says their experience and skills can be put to good use:

    16.50 - Vaccine

    A number of Irish hospitals are conducting clinical trials on coronavirus patients as part of global research efforts to tackle the pandemic.

    The trials will start enrolling critically ill Irish patients in Intensive Care Units and will test interventions for Covid-19.

    They will begin at St Vincent’s University Hospital and University Hospital Galway in the next week and other hospitals are preparing to be involved soon. 

    Alistair Nichol, a UCD Professor and intensive care consultant at St Vincent's University Hospital is leading the trial and says they are taking advice from the WHO:

    16.45 - Womans Aid

    There are fears that the current Covid-19 measures may make it more difficult for victims of domestic abuse to seek support. 

    Gardai say theres been a 16 percent increase of domestic violence incidents in the past year. 

    The force has launched Operation Faoisimh (PR: Fwee-siv) which aims to protect vulnerable people.  

    CEO of Women's Aid, Sarah Benson, says victims need to know there are support services available:

    16.30 - DAFT

    Daft is launching a new initiative to provide free accommodation for doctors and nurses.

    It's after a number of large companies in Dublin contacted the property website to say many of their employees apartments are now empty during the crisis.

    Medical staff have been asked to no longer share accommodation.

    The service will go live next week, and Adam Ferguson, General Manager at Daft.ie, says other companies are welcome to sign up:

    16.20 - Wimbledon 

    This year's Wimbledon Championships has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two.

    The tennis tournament is the latest global sporting event to be scrapped or postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    It was due to take place between the 29th of June and 12th of July.

    The All England Club made the decision today and said it wasn't taken lightly.

    16.15 - Courts

    A man has appeared before Limerick District Court charged in connection with allegedly coughing on a shop worker during the covid-19 outbreak.

    The incident is alleged to have taken place at a SPAR shop, a few yards from Henry Street garda station last night.

    28 year old Jeffrey Kelly of no fixed abide but with a previous address at Hermitage, Ennis, Co Clare, was charged with assault causing harm to Andrrezj Stradomski. 

    Mr Kelly's solicitor Sarah Ryan said she understood that CCTV footage would be "crucial to the case"

    The accused was remanded in custody to Limerick Prison to appear before the District Court on Friday for a bail hearing.

    16.05 - SNA

    Special needs assistants are going to re-assigned to other roles in the health service during the Covid 19 pandemic.

    The Department of Education says it'll be a temporary move to free up frontline workers in essential services.

    The "priority area" for SNAs to be re-assigned is community healthcare services for children with disabilities.

    Many of them will be maintaining contact with the student they normally help through the likes of Zoom or WhatsApp while schools remain closed.

    Andy Pike is from the Forsa union, which represents most SNAs, and says they'll be able to take on a range of roles:

    16.04 - Taoiseach

    The Taoiseach says there will be delays in coronavirus testing from time-to-time, due to a global shortage of essential resources. 

    The HSE earlier apologised for the current wait time for test results, which is up to 10 days. 

    Some testing centres are not open today, but the HSE says it believes enough are open to meet demand.

    Leo Varadkar says they're expecting a delivery of reagents, which are needed to carry out tests, next week. 

    15.15 - DAFT.IE

    Property website DAFT.ie is working with large companies based in Dublin to identify empty apartments based in the capital that could be used by healthcare workers.

    The firm says it recognises those staff need clean convenient places to stay as they self isolate outside of hospitals.

    The free short-term housing could help ease doctors and nurses concerns of sharing a home with their families or housemates.

    DAFT.ie says it hopes to have the details finalised and live on their website next website.

    15.06 -  Libraries

    A deal has been put in place for libraries to provide online storytelling sessions for children.

    It's hoped it will help to keep kids entertained and educated while the lockdown continues.

    It's one of a range of measures the government announced today which includes the re-deployment of SNAs to work in other parts of the public service.

    Liz Canavan from the Department of the Taoiseach announced the measures:

    14.57 - Nurses

    The Government hopes to announce new proposals this week to help nurses who are struggling with childcare during the coronavirus emergency.

    The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation estimates that between 20 to 25 per cent of its members can’t find someone to mind their children.

    Industrial Relations Director Tony Fitzpatrick says the restrictions means they’ve few options.

    14.55 - Garda

    Gardai are to make contact with previous victims of domestic abuse to check if there are any issues during the Covid-19 crisis. 

    The force says it has received around a 16 percent increase in reports of domestic violence incidents in the past year. 

    It has launched Operation Faoisimh (PR: Fwee-siv) which aims to protect people who may be in danger. 

    Detective Chief Superintendent, Declan Daly, says the ongoing pandemic can lead to vulnerable situations:

    14.48 - UCD

    UCD Students' Union is calling on the government to pay student radiographers. 

    The union says it echoes the calls made by its radiography students about being paid a fair wage while on placement at the frontline of the coronavirus crisis. 

    The students say they are carrying out chest x-rays, which they describe as the most valuable exam a hospital can provide potential Covid-19 patients. 

    Over 2,300 people have signed an online petition supporting the plea. 

    14.47 - Northern Ireland 

    2 more people have died from the coronavirus in the North.

    It means 30 people have lost their lives in Northern Ireland due to Covid 19.

    103 new positive cases were reported north of the border, bringing the total confirmed number of cases to 689.

    Combined with the 71 confirmed deaths in the republic, it brings the death toll on the island of Ireland to 101.

    14.30 - Prince Of Wales

    Britain's Prince of Wales has paid tribute to health workers on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.

    Charles was diagnosed with Covid-19, but says he's now on the "other side" of the illness.

    He's released this message on Twitter.

    14.05 - HSE

    The HSE says nearly 1,500 people are now involved in contact tracing to try and limit the spread of Covid 19.

    It comes as new guidelines are introduced which will see contact tracing focused on suspect cases within priority groups, such as healthcare workers.

    Professor Karina Butler from the Infectious Disease Society of Ireland has also welcomed another recommendation from the country's top health officials:

    13.44 - Lotto

    More than 16 million euro in unclaimed lotto prizes is to be used to support the health sector respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The money, which relates to prizes which were not claimed by winners before their ticket expired, will be returned to the exchequer.

    The fund dates back to before 2014, when the previous licence held by An Post National Lottery Company came to an end.

    Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe says he's pleased that the expired prize fund will be used to support the health sector at a time of unprecedented national crisis.

    13.43 - Waiting Times

    The HSE has apologised for the waiting times for Coronavirus test results.

    Not all testing centres across the country are open today - but the HSE says it believes enough are open to meet demand.

    Liz Canavan is assistant secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach, and says the HSE is doing all it can to shorten waiting times for tests and results:

    13.42 - Self Isolation

    There are plans for a further eight dedicated self-isolation and coronavirus step down facilities nationwide. 

    The first facility, which has the capacity for around 1,500 people, opens today at Citywest Hotel in Dublin. 

    15 COVID-19 patients who were previously hospitalised are due to arrive to Citywest this evening to self-isolate. 

    HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid outlines some of the other locations where these facilities will be located

    13.37 - Libraries

    Libraries will begin hosting virtual storytime sessions for young people during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

    Storytime sessions will be streamed online for children to enjoy while schools and libraries remain closed.

    Libraries Ireland says the initiative allows all children to enjoy stories, especially those who may not have access to books in their home.

    A number of Irish publishers and writers have signed up to the initiative and have agreed to temporarily waive their licence fees.

    13.01 - Dr. Tony Holohan

    The Department of Health's chief medical officer is undergoing tests in hospital.  

    Dr Tony Holohan has told RTE it's not related to Covid-19 and he's expected to be released tomorrow. 

    He has held regular media briefings about coronavirus over the past month. 

    12.52 - Facebook

    Facebook users in the UK are now able to directly request assistance or volunteer their services during the coronavirus lockdown.

    The social network has launched a tool called Community Help which is being rolled out across the UK.

    A filter on the page enables users to focus on specific areas - like supplies, transport and business help.

    12.37 - Isolation facility

    15 coronavirus patients will arrive to the country's first dedicated isolation facility this afternoon.

    The facility at the Citywest hotel in Dublin has the capacity for up to 1,500 beds. 

    It will be available to people who need to isolate and can not do so in their own home. 

    HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid says people must be referred into the facility:

    12.19 - Childcare

    The Government says it hopes to have new measures in place soon to help frontline workers with childcare.  

    It’s estimated one in four nurses are struggling to find someone to mind their children during the coronavirus emergency.
    It’s been an extremely stressful few weeks for nurses as they help tackle the coronavirus crisis.

    And as they deal with patients on the frontline, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation estimates that between 20 to 25 per cent of its members are struggling to find someone to mind their children.

    Creches are shut and grandparents can’t help out so parents are finding it hard.

    The Health Minister says the Department of Children is working on the issue and proposals should be announced by the end of the week

    Simon Harris says it’s a delicate situation and they want to get it right.

    12.03 - Public transport

    After Irish Rail reduced services on Monday, bus operators are following suit today.

    Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and GoAhead have implemented enhanced Saturday timetables for weekdays, from this morning.

    Passengers are being asked to sit apart as part of social distancing measures on-board.

    11.49 - SNAs

    SNAs are to be re-deployed across the rest of the public sector to help frontline staff dealing with the Coronavirus.

    Staff not required for education or research purposes will be available for reassignment elsewhere.

    A process has been set up through the PublicJobs.ie website to put this in place.

    There are around 16,000 special needs assistants in Ireland, but it's expected the number reassigned will be much smaller.

    11.35 - Results:

    The HSE has apologised to people who are waiting for Coronavirus test results.

    Some people have been waiting as long as a week to get the results of their tests. 

    Not all testing centres are open across the country today, but the HSE says enough are available to deal with demand. 

    Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach Liz Canavan says the HSE is trying to improve turnaround times:

    11.24 - Social welfare

    There's calls for the state pension to be increased to match the Covid-19 emergency payments.

    No one over the age of 66 can claim the 350 euro a week payment - even if they're still in employment and have lost work.

    Chairman of Wexford County Council, Michael Sheehan, says more needs to be done to support people in that situation:

    11.02 - Data 

    87 per cent of Irish people would be willing to share their personal data and medical records if it helped to solve Covid-19. 

    Almost as many people believe technology will help to beat the epidemic. 

    The research was commissioned by the Irish Computer Society, as part of Tech Week 2020. 

    It also shows 80 per cent of people don't trust social media in spreading awareness about the virus. 

    10.51 -

    In the UK, yesterday, cabinet minister Michael Gove claimed there was a shortage of the necessary chemicals to make tests.

    But a group which represents firms that make them insists deliveries are being made.

    Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick says larger quantities need to be manufactured:

    10.36 - Trial

    Critically ill patients with Covid-19 in Ireland will be asked to take part in a new clinical trial on how to treat the disease.

    Alistair Nichol, a UCD Professor and intensive care consultant at St Vincent's University Hospital, is leading the trial: 

    10.29 - Contract tracing

    Contact-tracing is going to change in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

    It will now include people who were in close contact with a confirmed case 48 hours before they showed symptoms.

    Professor Karina Butler from the Infectious Disease Society of Ireland says this, along with the restriction measures, is a very positive development:

    10.21 - Free fuel

    Applegreen has announced it will provide free fuel to Blood Bike Leinster during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The service, which is run entirely by volunteers, says its deliveries have trebled.

    10.01 - Stay at home

    Cancer patients are urging people to follow the guidelines on staying at home to control the spread of coronavirus.

    The Irish Cancer Society has launched a new awareness campaign titled 'My Life Matters'. 

    It is encouraging people to listen to the advice, and follow social distancing. 

    Health advocate Vicky Phelan says we all need to play our part to protect one another:

    09.52 - ICU

    The Health Minister says the number of critical coronavirus cases should ‘worry us all.’

    17 people lost their lives from Covid-19 yesterday, while 325 new cases were confirmed.

    The figures are the highest daily increases so far and means 3,235 people now have the infection here. 

    113 people have been admitted to ICU with the virus, which Simon Harris says is a concerning figure:

    09.47 - TV:

    The creator of Seinfeld says people shouldn't miss the "once in a lifetime" opportunity to "stay in the house, sit on the couch and watch TV".

    Larry David's released a video and has called those ignoring social distancing instructions "idiots":

    09.41 - Nursing homes

    HIQA will carry out assessments in nursing homes to see which ones need extra support during the crisis. 

    There have been 23 clusters in nursing homes across the country.

    Staff there will also be given more personal protective equipment.

    Tadgh  Daly from Nursing Homes Ireland says the quick testing of staff also needs to be prioritised:

    09.32 - Infection rates

    Further measures will be introduced in our response to the coronavirus after a record number of deaths and infection rates were reported yesterday.

    17 people lost their lives from Covid 19 while 325 new cases were confirmed.

    3,235 people now have the infection here. 

    Doctors and nurses could soon be asked not to live together to stop the spread of the infection.

    Tony Fitzpatrick from the INMO says this needs to be done right:

    09.17 - Domestic violence

    Gardai have recorded a year on year increase, of around 16 per cent, in the reporting of domestic abuse incidents between 2019 and 2020.

    However, gardai say they haven't recorded a significant increase since the introduction of the Covid-19 public health measures.

    They say the force is there to help and support anyone who is a victim of domestic abuse during this time.

    People should contact their local Garda station or in an emergency call 999 or 112.

    08.51 - Testing

    An Irish company is to receive ten million euro from the EU Commission to develop a rapid test for Covid-19.

    Hibergene Diagnostics from Dublin is one of 17 companies in Europe to benefit from an overall EU grant of 48.5 million euro.

    More than 30,000 Covid-19 tests have been carried out since the outbreak began here.

    Healthcare workers are being prioritised for testing because the sector makes up a quarter of all cases in Ireland. 

    Dr Cillian de Gascun, chairman of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group, says the change in criteria for testing is working.

    08.37 - Social distancing

    Health Minister Simon Harris says he's concerned about the impact social-distancing will have on people during the coronavirus crisis:

    08.17 - Homeless

    There are calls for the incoming government to see what has been achieved in the past couple of weeks in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and have a similar response to the homeless crisis.

    10,148 people accessed emergency accommodation in February, which is a drop of around 100 from the previous month's figures.

    The total includes over 3,500 children.

    07.51 - Manufacturing

    The number of new orders and exports from Ireland's manufacturing sector has fallen at its fastest rate since 2009.

    An index by AIB shows that confidence has dropped from the market after the spread of the coronavirus outside mainland China in the past number of weeks.

    The study predicts that with the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, it will take a long time for the industry to recover.

    07.38 - Pensioners

    Active Retirement Ireland's calling for the Covid-19 payments to be made available to all workers and not just those up to the age of 66.

    Many pensioner continue to work in part-time roles after retirement.

    Peter Kavanagh from Active Retirement Ireland says it's wrong those who've lost them due to the pandemic aren't entitled to the government's emergency payment:

    07.22 - Gardaí

    Clearer guidelines are needed on how to deal with people who use Covid-19 as a weapon against gardai.

    That's according to the Garda Representative Association, which is calling for greater protection for officers on the frontline.

    A number of cases have been highlighted in recent days where gardai have been spat and coughed at by people claiming to have Covid-19.

    GRA president Jim Mulligan says access to protective equipment's badly needed.

    He says clarity on the powers of arrest also needs to be looked at:

    07.02 - Symptoms 

    Losing your sense of smell and taste could be the best way to tell whether you have Covid-19.

    Researchers from King's College London say the majority who tested positive for the virus lost both those senses.

    Other symptoms scientists tell you to look out for include a fever, a persistent cough and shortness of breath. 

    07.00 - Northern Ireland

    The deputy first minister is calling for Northern Ireland to carry out significantly more tests on Covid-19. 

    There were 53 more cases in the North yesterday, including six deaths. 

    Yesterday, political leaders agreed to co-operate more across the island of Ireland to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

    Deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill says the North needs to ramp up its efforts on the issue:

    06.55 - Direct Provision

    More than 650 new beds have been made available to asylum seekers in direct provision to prevent the spread of Covid-19 within the centres.

    They'll be located in Dublin, Galway and Cork and will supplement the facilities already in use across the country - with older people moved to allow them cocoon and self-isolate.

    More than 5,500 people are in the country's 39 centres, including 1,700 children.

    Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan says it's important they are protected:

    06.51 - Worldwide outlook

    There are now more than 846,000 cases of Covid-19 worldwide.

    41,000 people have died - more than 12,000 of those in Italy.

    The second-worst hit country is Spain, which has reported more than 8,000 fatalities. 

    Meanwhile in the US, the number of people to have died has passed 3,500.

    President Donald Trump insists there's light at the end of the tunnel, but it's going to be a challenge to get there:

    06.50 - Garda powers

    The Garda Representative Association's calling for clarity on the powers of arrest during the current pandemic.

    It says members are concerned following recent incidents where colleagues have been coughed and spat at by people claiming to have Covid-19.

    President of the GRA, Jim Mulligan, says having access to personal protective equipment such as masks and spit hoods would help.

    But he says specific measures to deal with these people are needed:

    06.47 - Downturn

    The manufacturing sector is experiencing its biggest downturn in over a decade.

    A study by AIB has shown that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a severe dip in the industry at the end of the year's first quarter.

    The number of new orders and exports has had its fastest rate of fall since early 2009.

    06.45 - NPHET

    The National Public Health Emergency Team is to issue new recommendations to hospitals and nursing homes to stop the spread of Covid-19, after the country's worst day for deaths and new cases. 

    The virus has claimed a further 17 lives, bringing the death toll to 71, while 325 new cases have been confirmed.

    There are now 3,235 diagnosed cases in the country, a quarter of which involve healthcare workers. 

    Senior health officials are becoming increasingly worried about clusters emerging in nursing homes. 

    The State's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan says they're working on measures to help them: 

    06.00 - Local figures:

    There are now 3,235 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

    There are 126 confirmed cases in the midlands. 

    Westmeath has 77 people with the illness, while there are 34 in Offaly.

     Laois has the lowest number with just 15 confirmed cases.

 

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