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THE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of five new cases of COVID-19 in Clare and three additional deaths related to COVID-19. 1 death occurred in March and 1 in January*. There has been a total of 4,422 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Saturday 6th March, the HPSC has been notified of 525 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 223,219** confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 271 are men / 254 are women 74% are under 45 years of age The median age is 31 years old 214 in Dublin, 37 in Meath, 28 in Offaly, 28 in Limerick and 25 in Wicklow and the remaining 193 cases are spread across 19 other counties***.   As of 8am today, 423 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 103 are in ICU. 14 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. As of March 4th, 493,873 doses of COVID-19 …

FAMILY carers in Clare have been completely neglected by the lack of priority in the national vaccination programme, a local councillor has claimed. While patients aged 16 to 69 with serious underlying health conditions have been moved up the national vaccination priority list from category seven to category four, Councillor Ann Norton said general practitioners have not been directed by the HSE to make this change. “It is farcical what the HSE have done putting people into different groups and are then changing their minds. We don’t know whether we are coming or going. “The HSE are completely undermining the work family carers are doing. We are being left to one side because we are looking after a family member and there is no appreciation there whatsoever.” Councillor Norton outlined that her own daughter, Nicole, has severe disabilities including Cerebral Palsy and needs a vaccine against Covid-19, but her general practitioner isn’t in a position to provide a definite timeline …

DEPUTY Cathal Crowe has predicted a HIQA report identifying nine non-compliances with national regulations at Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice will improve the level of care provided at the facility. HIQA has published a report outlining non-compliance with regulations on staffing; training and staff development; records, governance and management; complaints procedure; fire precautions; individual assessment and care plan; health care and residents’ rights. Cahercalla was found to be fully compliant with standards on contract for provision of services, visits and infection control following a HIQA inspection of the facility on September 24 and 25. There were 100 residents in the community facility at the time of the inspection, which can accommodate up to 112. This inspection was completed months before Cahercalla recently entered into a new agreement with Mowlam Healthcare to provide clinical and management oversight at Cahercalla. Cahercalla board chairman, Dr Michael Harty has stated this agreement will provide Cahercalla with strong governance, leadership and supervision of its residential …

THE HSE has confirmed a review has been commissioned into the provision of a new Primary Health Care Centre in Kilrush. Following a public announcement two years ago concerning this development, Councillor Cillian Murphy asked the HSE to provide information on the phase in the current process, a timeline for its completion and opening and an indicative list of proposed services and opening times Councillor Murphy asked at a recent HSE West Forum meeting whether services in the new health centre will be included that will reduce the amount of non-urgent calls the ambulance service usually deals with. The Fianna Fáil Councillor asked if a review of this project had actually started and when could he expect the completion of a report on the centre. He expressed concern that the HSE will make a decision on progressing the centre after the review as this could result in two possible outcomes: one, where the centre would not proceed or, two when …

CALLS for urgent action on illegal dumping have been repeated in response to concerns about the worsening biodiversity crisis. At a meeting of the Physical Development Meeting committee of the local authority last week, Councillor Alan O’Callaghan said community groups are fed up with having to respond to the ongoing problem of fly-tipping in scenic areas across the county. The Fianna Fáil members’ comments followed a detailed presentation from Heritage Officer Congella McGuire on biodiversity initiatives in the county, and an outline of the threats to nature created by pollution and other issues. “I don’t need to remind you that we are in a biodiversity crisis,” Ms McGuire said, as she outlined a number of initiatives that are ongoing in the county. “One-third of our bee species are threatened and two-third of bird species are in a red or amber conservation concern criteria. 85% of our important wildlife habitats are seen as being in an ‘unfavourable’ status.” Responding to the …

THE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of six new cases of COVID-19 in Clare abs 14 additional deaths related to COVID-19. 9 deaths occurred in March, 1 occurred in February and 4 in January or earlier. The median age of those who died was 80 years and the age range was 59-94 years. There has been a total of 4,419 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Friday, March 5, the HPSC has been notified of 539 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 222,699* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 295 are men / 240 are women 69% are under 45 years of age The median age is 33 years old 245 in Dublin, 42 in Meath, 29 in Kildare, 26 in Limerick, 24 in Cork and the remaining 173 cases are spread across 19 other counties**. As of 8am today, 414 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of …

AN UNEMPLOYED hotel kitchen porter had his e-scooter destroyed after he could not afford the €1,200 release bill following its seizure by a Garda, a court has heard. At Ennis District Court, solicitor for Polish national, Michael Blwlus (24), Billy Loughnane stated that the outcome for his client in the case “has already been disastrous”. Mr Loughnane made the comment after Mr Blwlus became the first person to plead guilty to a road traffic offence concerning the use of an e-scooter before Clare’s courts. The solicitor stated the man, who had lost his job as a hotel kitchen porter due to Covid-19 was going around on his e-scooter, handing out CVs to businesses in Ennis on March 24 last year during the first lockdown when stopped by Garda Ken Butler. Mr Blwlus of Collins Park, Kilrush Road, Ennis pleaded guilty to having no insurance for the e-scooter on that date. Garda Butler seized the e-scooter from Mr Blwlus and when …

ALTHOUGH Aer Lingus is in receipt of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme, it has announced it will lay off 129 in-flight service and ground operations staff at Shannon, from next Monday until June 7. One cabin crew worker said that the move to solely lay off the Shannon staff, despite excess staff at all its bases, shows a long-standing anti-Shannon attitude at a senior level in Aer Lingus. “We’re just getting targeted all the time, this is the second time we’ve been targeted just since the pandemic. There’s a surplus at every base, every single base and we’re the most senior cabin crew in Aer Lingus, but yet we’re the ones being laid off,” he said. Management have not revealed how much money will be saved by the move, but with the airline receiving State support, it will not be particularly significant. “It’s not any amount of money that’s going to close the company. They targeted one specific group, which …