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Friday 2 June 2023 Dublin: 13°C

# Covid-19

This week
28th May 2023 - 2nd June 2023
# pandemic
Two-thirds of all Covid deaths occurred in care homes, study finds
Ireland had the second highest proportion globally of Covid-19 deaths from Long Term Residential Care homes.
Last week
21st May 2023 - 27th May 2023
# Not again
Latest claims of Covid breaches 'load of absolute nonsense', Boris Johnson says
It was alleged that the former British prime minister’s friends visited Chequers despite restrictions.
# High Court
Mother of teenager who died by suicide sues Gemma O'Doherty for using son's image for article
The image of 18-year-old Diego Gilsenan appeared in an article trying to link sudden deaths to Covid-19 vaccines.
# CSO
Births continue to fall while death rate rises, new CSO statistics show
The number of deaths registered per 1,000 people in 2022 is 19% higher than in 2012.
Last month
May 2023
# Covid-19
Over 100 faulty ventilators ordered by HSE in March 2020 still in storage amid legal dispute
The HSE is currently seeking to recoup €22.3 million for faulty and undelivered ventilators.
# WHO
WHO declares an end to Covid-19 global health emergency
The coronavirus outbreak killed at least seven million people worldwide – and health chiefs stressed that the pandemic is not over.
The World Health Organisation has said Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency.
The announcement marks a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns.
The WHO said that even though the emergency phase is over, the pandemic has not come to an end.
# pandemic
Covid vaccine requirement for international travelers entering US to end 11 May
The decision comes as Covid-19 deaths in the US have declined by 95% since January 2021, the White House said.
April
April 2023
# Covid-19
Tony Holohan says media and others tried to 'oversimplify' pandemic response
Holohan said there was no “silver bullet” that could have stopped the pandemic.
# workers' memorial day
INMO call for Health and Safety Authority resources to protect healthcare staff from danger
INMO President Karen McGowan spoke on behalf of healthcare workers at a Workers’ Memorial Day event at the Garden of Rememberance.
# booster vaccine
HSE launch spring Covid-19 booster programme for older and immunocompromised people
The booster programme is aimed to be completed by the end of May.
# Women's Health
Total withdrawal of partner access in maternity hospitals 'not appropriate', says HSE
Campaigners have criticised how partners continue to be restricted in attending appointments in some hospitals.
# pandemic
Rollout of pandemic bonus has had errors but is largely complete, says Donnelly
A total of €208 million in tax-free pandemic bonus payments has been issued, the health minister said.
Covid pandemic still volatile, WHO warns
More than 23,000 deaths and three million new cases have been reported to the WHO in the past 28 days.
# hospital warning
Cork's MUH says it is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases
Mercy University Hospital in Cork has warned incoming patients of a high demand in their emergency department.
# Coronavirus
China defends search for source of Covid-19 after 'offensive' WHO criticism
The director of the China Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said research is “always shared”.
# Healthcare
Mandatory mask wearing in hospitals to end on 19 April
Staff and visitors are still advised to wear masks around patients who are confirmed or suspected to have Covid-19.
# Covid-19
Debunked: No, vaccinated people are not more likely to have heart problems from being jabbed
The risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 far outweighs the risk from vaccines
March
March 2023
# debunked
Debunked: Recent studies indicate masks can be effective at preventing the spread of disease
A 2022 study on mandates for Catalan schoolchildren had been touted as proof masks don’t work.
# Boris Johnson
Johnson rejects criticism as 'complete nonsense' at committee over Partygate
‘If anyone thinks I was partying during lockdown, they are completely wrong,’ said Johnson.
China to reopen borders to tourists after declaring a 'decisive victory' over Covid-19
Authorities will resume issuing all types of visas after a three-year halt during the pandemic.
# Coronavirus
HSE to launch survey to measure prevalence of long Covid in Ireland
People in Longford, Westmeath, Laois, Offaly, Kildare, West Wicklow and south Dublin will be invited to take part in the survey.
# Mercy University Hospital
Cork hospital advises patients to avoid ED due to Covid-19 and winter vomiting bug surge
Mercy University Hospital advised that ‘patients are and will continue to experience delays’.
Voices
Opinion: If global leaders can't agree on the origin of Covid then what hope for future crises?
As global superpowers continue their war of words over the origin of Covid, Seána Glennon says the lack of cooperation doesn’t bode well for the future.
# debunked
Debunked: No, the first man to receive Pfizer's Covid vaccine did not die because of the jab
William Shakespeare was the second person to receive the vaccine in December 2020.
# contact tracing
Covid Tracker app expected to be 'decommissioned' by this summer
The app cost €811,227 to launch with over €100,000 spent on support and development in the six months after it launched.
# Working Hours
Garda contingency roster introduced during Covid pandemic extended for six months
The contingency roster had been due to expire next month, but will remain in place until 3 September.
# Covid-19
HSE bought 10 times more ventilators than necessary, hundreds of which were unusable
The HSE spent €129 million on ventilators, buying nearly twice the number approved by the Department of Health.
# Covid-19
Former NPHET member: Long-term school closures were 'not required'
Professor Cormican was speaking this morning to RTÉ’s Brendan O’Connor.
# matt hancock
Leaked messages reveal Matt Hancock hit out at Sunak over ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ Covid scheme
The messages reveal Hancock had serious concerns about the scheme designed to support restaurants, dubbing it the ‘eat out to help the virus get about’.
# Covid-19
UK ministers reportedly considered culling pet cats at start of pandemic over health fears
‘What we shouldn’t forget is how little we understood about this disease,’ a former UK Health Department deputy told Channel 4 News.
# breda smyth
'Go back to doing the things you love': CMO writes post-pandemic open letter to older people
Prof Breda Smyth said she wanted to reassure people who were concerned about the spread of Covid that it is safe to go out and about.
# lab leak theory
FBI Director says origins of Covid-19 'most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan'
In response, Beijing accused Washington of harming its own credibility with the claims.
February
February 2023
# Vaccines
Former NPHET member says mandatory Covid vaccines should have been considered
Professor Cormican also said that the intensity of lockdown measures meant that some vulnerable people were ‘effectively abandoned for months’.
# Coronavirus
US report concludes with 'low confidence' that Covid-19 'likely' originated from Wuhan lab
The classified report was delivered to senior figures on the US’s House and Senate Intelligence committees last month.
# Widower's Pension
Supreme Court to hear appeal against refusal to grant widower’s pension to an unmarried father
The Supreme Court panel said John O’Meara and his three children’s challenge raises points of general public importance.
# debunked
Debunked: There is no evidence that more 15-year-olds are dying of heart attacks due to vaccines
A claim shared on Irish social media suggests vaccines are killing 15-year-olds.
# Coronavirus
Six-month-old babies will be eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine from next week
Children aged six months to 4 years old can avail of the vaccine from Monday.
# debunked
FactFind: Does a new scientific review show masks are useless at stopping disease?
The conclusions of the review are surprising, but have been twisted by anti-mask campaigners online.
# Public Transport
Bus passenger numbers on public transport network return to pre-pandemic levels
In November 2022, Bus Eireann carried 3.5 million passengers, surpassing comparable figures from 2019.
January
January 2023
# pandemic
Three years on, WHO says Covid-19 is still a global emergency
The WHO first declared a so-called public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020.