Tag Archives: Covid-19

THE amount of Clare people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment dipped significantly between December 8 and 15. Clare’s economy has apparently benefited from the loosening of Covid-19 restrictions and increased spending close to Christmas, with the number of people receiving the payment dropping by more than 800 in a week from 7,398 to 6,539. The weeks before Christmas are the busiest time of the year for retailers, and in Ennis Liam Meaney, the manager of men’s clothes shop Club Dangan on O’Connell Street, said that business has been quite brisk of late. “Thankfully trade has been very good since we came back, we can’t complain at all, we’re delighted with it. “This year we’ve spent almost as much time closed as we’ve been open, but here between the two lockdowns we got our website going, so that helped us in the second lockdown. “We were behind closed doors posting out orders and doing click and collect, so that was a …

AS the 14-day incidence of Covid-19 in Clare slumps to the lowest in the country, a local Dáil deputy has asked the government to consider using antigen testing to help curtail the spread of the virus during Christmas. A few months ago, the 14-day incidence rate of the virus in Clare was the fourth highest in the country. However, now the incidence has dropped from 32 per 100,000 on November 30 to 23.6%, which is the lowest in the country. This is in sharp contrast to Limerick, which now has the sixth highest incidence rate of 128% while the rate in Tipperary is now far greater than Clare at 70%, just below the national average of 84.7%. According to figures produced by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, there were 28 new cases of Covid-19 in Clare, 251 in Limerick and 112 in Tipperary from December 1 to December 14. On December 13, Limerick’s total number of cases stood at 3,021 …

  The Government’s failure to pay student nurses properly has been criticised as “disgraceful and exploitative’” by a local Sinn Féin deputy. In a recent Dáil vote, Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne said Government TDs from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party voted to prevent student nurses receiving a fair wage despite the essential role they have played during the Covid-19 pandemic. Deputy Wynne recalled Sinn Féin TDs spoke out on behalf of student nurses and voted for them to receive fair pay. “Student nurses do highly skilled work in challenging conditions. They are the glue holding our healthcare system together. Without them, the healthcare system quite simply could not function in the way that it does. “Throughout the pandemic, student nurses stepped up to work on the frontline to protect our communities and fight Covid-19. “They were rightly praised by all politicians at the time but they need more than praise- they need to see proper action from the …

TESCO Ireland has confirmed a number of its retail staff at its Coonagh store have tested positive for Covid-19. A lot of residents in South-East Clare use this Coonagh store regularly to complete their weekly and daily shopping. Responding to Clare Champion queries, Tesco confirmed a number of their employees at their Coonagh store were confirmed cases but declined to disclose a specific number. A Tesco spokesperson said the safety of its colleagues and customers is their number one priority. “Tesco can confirm that a number of our colleagues at our Coonagh store have tested positive for Covid-19. We are fully engaged with the HSE and have followed all appropriate public health advice. “We have made face coverings available to our colleagues, and continue to emphasise that physical distancing, respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene are the most important actions to protect everyone against the spread of COVID-19. We have extensive measures across all of our stores to help keep everyone …

THE government has been warned rural parts of Clare will remain a “broadband black hole” following the revelation that only four communities in Clare are scheduled for high speed broadband connection in 2021. This news will be greeted with dismay by thousands of Clare residents, who are working from home in line with public health guidelines to minimise the spread of Covid-19, despite difficulties with poor connection and coverage issues. Delays in the rollout of broadband will also hinder the government’s national plan to roll out 10,000 co-working and incubation spaces around the country over the next three years. Deputy Michael McNamara has expressed his disappointment at the “frustratingly slow” roll out of a high speed and future proofed broadband network across Clare as part of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention. Deputy McNamara was speaking ahead of a briefing by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to Clare County Council next Monday where the CEO Peter Hendrick will outline …

DECEMBER 1 couldn’t come quickly enough for hundreds if not thousands of Clare men whose hair had grown feral since the beginning of lockdown. Ennis barber Micheál Malone has been welcoming customers back and says business has been quite brisk. “It has been very busy, it’ll be very busy for this week, people are getting Christmas haircuts as well.” Customers are very happy to finally get tidied up and get a part of their routine back. “They’re delighted to get back and to see us as well, it’s a bit of normality as well. Six weeks is a long time with people getting a haircut every four weeks.” In business for the last 25 years, he says this has been by far the strangest and most difficult one. “We’ve only worked for six months of the year really, to be honest about it. It has been strange for the staff as well, you’re not seeing them. The first lockdown was …

  STAFF at University Hospital Limerick have been joined by Adapt Domestic Abuse Services and by Irish hockey international Roisin Upton in marking 16 Days Opposing Violence Against Women. As part of the annual raising of awareness around domestic violence, University Hospital Limerick has been illuminated in the campaign’s signature purple. The annual event at UHL is organised by the Medical Social Work team, which offers a confidential support and information service to those who are affected by domestic violence across all the UL Hospitals Group. Students on placement from NUI Galway and University College Cork also supported the event. This year’s 16 Days campaign runs from November 25th to December 10th. Covid-19 has not stopped domestic violence. Women’s Aid has highlighted a 43% rise in National Freephone Helpline contact during the Covid-19 crisis. If anyone needs any help, anytime, the Emergency Department at UHL  is open around the clock or contact the following numbers: Medical Social Work UHL  0866051774; ADAPT: 1800 …

Deputy Michael McNamara has asked Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to provide a greater level of transparency concerning the number of Irish people who died from and with Covid-19. His call coincided with the publication of figures on Tuesday of 18 additional deaths related to Covid-19, one death occurred in October, 15 deaths in November and two are under investigation. Deputy McNamara has asked Minister Donnelly for a breakdown of patients who died primarily from Covid-19, those who died with Covid-19 but primarily from other causes and those who died from the virus, having acquired it in hospital. The Independent Deputy was told this is a matter for the HSE and was assured he will receive a reply in due course. He expects to receive a typical vague response from the HSE. The 14-day incidence rate of the virus continues to fall and remain relatively low in Clare. This rate, which had rocketed about 70% from September 17 to September 30, …