Tag Archives: Covid-19 pandemic

Newly ordained Bishop Nash extols the virtues of listening and talking to shape church community in years ahead THE newly-ordained Bishop of Ferns, Ger Nash has pledged to lead a diocese in seeing, reflecting and acting to ensure it becomes a refuge of healing and encouragement. Bishop Nash also hopes to provide space for those searching meaning, as Wexford emerged tentatively from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The former Killaloe Diocesan Secretary from Tulla was ordained as the 81st Bishop of Ferns in St Aidan’s Cathedral Enniscorthy on Sunday last. “I am privileged to have been asked by Pope Francis to lead this historic diocese and I feel very humbled,” he said. In his wide-ranging address at the Mass celebrating his Episcopal Ordination, Bishop Nash, (62) said he hoped everyone can work together in Ferns with the Spirit of God to to ensure a place of welcome and hospitality for all. In accordance with Pope Francis’ model in “Let …

WHILE the COVID-19 pandemic has brought huge disruption to education over the past 17 months, there was some good news for four Clare women continuing their learning journey. The quartet have been accepted onto the BA in Applied Early Childhood Education and Care QQI Level 7 course at Carlow Institute of Technology after completing a QQI Level 6 course offered at the Further Education and Training Centre, Shannon Town Campus. The four learners progressing to Level 7 at Carlow Institute of Technology include Barbara Kelly, Sarah McMahon, Amanda Kelly and Lisa O’Dwyer. Sarah who is from Meelick and a mother to four adult children began her learner journey nearly 20 years ago. Her youngest child was just three months old when she took part in a Youthreach programme in Ennis followed by a Level 5 in Childcare. “I was a stay at home mum for many years with one child who has special needs so it was a very busy …

ONLY nine extra Intensive Care beds have been provided nationally by the HSE in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a local Dáil deputy has claimed. Speaking during Leader’s questions in the Dáil on Wednesday, Deputy Michael McNamara recalled Ireland imported the idea of lockdowns from China. However, the difference is health authorities in China managed to build hospitals in 14 days in response to Covid-19. The East Clare Deputy recalled the HSE’s Capacity Census last year showed ICU capacity increased from 255 to 280 from April to December 2020. “At the end of last year, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly announced the government was going to increase ICU capacity to 446, of which 321 was supposed to be delivered by the end of this year. “However, to this date this year, the HSE has only provided nine extra ICU beds nationally.” He asked An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin what the government was doing to increase hospital ICU capacity. Deputy Martin recalled …

Tidy Towns committees throughout Clare will be busy over the coming months improving their locality following the return of the national annual competition. The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced the return of the SuperValu TidyTowns Competition. The iconic competition was cancelled in 2020 – for the first time in over 60 years – due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, special arrangements have now been put in place to ensure the return of the competition this year, with the overall winners due to be announced before the end of the year. This competition will take place in the same format as previous years, albeit with a specific emphasis on electronic entry and remote adjudication of each town’s entry. Groups should continue to adhere to public health guidelines as they have done so remarkably well since the onset of the pandemic. The health and safety of volunteers continues to be paramount. It is acknowledged that volunteers …

THE Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 15 new Covid-19 cases in Clare and 56 additional deaths related to Covid-19. 31 of these deaths occurred in February, 13 occurred in January, 3 in December or earlier, while a further 9 are under investigation. The median age of those who died was 82 years and the age range was 16 – 97 years. There has been a total of 4,237 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Tuesday, February 23, the HPSC has been notified of 574 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There is now a total of 216,870* confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 285 are men / 287 are women 67% are under 45 years of age The median age is 34 years old 175 in Dublin, 57 in Limerick, 43 in Kildare, 37 in Galway, 35 in Meath and the remaining 227 cases are spread across 18 other counties. ** …

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 16 new cases of Covid-19 in Clare, while there has been one additional death related to Covid-19. There has been a total of 4,137 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Sunday, February 21, the HPSC has been notified of 686 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There is now a total of 215,743 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 325 are men / 354 are women 66% are under 45 years of age The median age is 34 years old 278 in Dublin, 49 in Limerick, 37 in Kildare, 32 in Louth, 31 in Donegal and the remaining 259 cases are spread across all remaining counties.* As of 8am today, 726 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 156 are in ICU. 33 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. As of February 19, 340,704 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland: 214,384 people …

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of six additional cases of Covid-19 in Clare, while there have been 57 additional deaths related to Covid-19. 34 of these deaths occurred in February, 21 in January, 1 in December and 1 in November. The median age of those who died was 82 years and the age range was 52-99 years. There has been a total of 4,036 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight, Tuesday, February 16, the HPSC has been notified of 650 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There is now a total of 211,751 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. Of the cases notified today: 325 are male/ 323 are female 65% are under 45 years of age The median age is 37 years old 192 in Dublin, 53 in Galway, 50 in Meath, 46 in Kildare, 46 in Cork and the remaining 263 cases are spread across 19 other counties. As of 8am today, 831 Covid-19 …

THE Diabetes in Pregnancy service at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL) has served mums and mums-to-be throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to innovative ‘virtual clinics’. According to the UL Hospitals’ Group, these clinics provide convenient access to health services at a time when social and physical distancing remains so central to minimising the threat to public health of the coronavirus. A virtual clinic is one in which the patient and clinician interact in real time, via a video link or phone call instead of the traditional face-to-face appointment. Staff and patients of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Service at UMHL are using the ‘Attend Anywhere’ video platform and telephone calls to conduct a total of 92 virtual consultations every week. This technology is enabling the Diabetes in Pregnancy service to host four Gestational Diabetes clinics every week with a total of 24 patient ‘slots; one weekly clinic in Insulin Initiation with six patient slots; while also allowing for 20 scheduled calls …