Tag Archives: Covid-19

REMOTE access to meetings of Clare County Council may continue into the future, members were told, after a number of them joined the November meeting via Zoom. Standing Orders were amended to give effect to a Ministerial Order drawn up in response to Level 5 restrictions, meaning that councillors can attend meetings virtually, as necessary. “This is a historic occasion,” said the council’s Chief Executive Pat Dowling, as members including Councillors Donna McGettigan, Ian Lynch, Pat Hayes and Tony O’Brien connected by video link. Mr Dowling noted that a national template had issued to all councils and he thanked meetings coordinator Ann Reynolds for her work in facilitating the new arrangements. Councillor Clare Colleran Molloy questioned whether the arrangement was limited by time, to which Mr Dowling replied that it would be kept under review. “A number of local authorities, like those in Dublin, had been offering remote access even before Covid-19,” he noted. “It is at the discretion of …

ALL routine outpatient appointments and the majority of elective procedures scheduled for this Thursday and Friday have been cancelled in University Hospital Limerick and Ennis Hospital, as both hospitals manage active outbreaks of Covid-19. Significant numbers of staff are currently off work and self-isolating having either tested positive for Covid-19 or been designated as close contact. Outbreak control teams established in both locations are working closely with public health and occupational health colleagues and all the relevant HPSC guidance is being followed as we work to contain the virus and to protect patients and staff. Contact tracing and testing of staff and patients is continuing and the group are putting into effect all the appropriate infection control measures to mitigate the risk. The UL Hospitals’ Group has experienced considerable staffing challenges in recent days and just under 50 patients had their procedures cancelled on Monday, November 9th. The Group’s Hospital Crisis Management Team took the difficult decision on Wednesday to …

THE Mid-West Health Service Executive has confirmed a new Covid-19 testing centre will open on the outskirts of Ennis on November 16. This announcement comes in the wake of increasing concern about the number of people from West Clare who have been referred for Covid-19 testing in Limerick and North Tipperary in recent weeks due to capacity issues. A new Covid-19 testing centre will open in the Ballymaley Business Park, Gort Road, Ennis, on November 16. This will replace the existing test centre, which was provided at Clare GAA’s headquarters in Cusack Park. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne has expressed concern about official statistics confirming more than 600 planned Covid-19 tests were marked as no-shows across the Mid-West from October 19th to 25th. “I am deeply concerned about the continued trend of no-shows for Covid-19 tests across Clare, Limerick and Tipperary in recent days. “The HSE have said that up to late last week there has been around 600 missed appointments for …

THERE has been a dramatic reduction in the 14-day incidence of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Clare, according to the latest figures. A few weeks ago, Clare had the fourth highest 14-day incidence rate of the virus in the country with 303 per 100,000 compared to just 77 in Tipperary and 183 in Limerick. This rate, which has rocketed from about 70% from September 17 to September 30, was very high and was way above the national average of 279%. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time in the county when 1,030 were notified on October 17. Thirty-three more cases were confirmed a day later bringing the county total to 1,063 on October 18. This overall figure increased to 1,311 on November 1. As Clare people continue to endure Level Five restrictions, the spread of the virus is slowing in Clare compared to other counties and is now the eighth lowest in the country. According …

A PRIVATE testing centre for Covid-19 is to come on stream in the Clare/Limerick area, with a drive-through facility, as well as mobile testing units for large organisations. The development by healthcare company RocDoc was announced this week, as the company expands its operations. The company will also create 200 new jobs at the facilities in the Midwest, as well as in counties Meath and Cork. While specific details of the location in the Clare/Limerick area were not released, plans for its opening are said to be well advanced. At its existing clinic in Ashbourne, County Meath, the private company offers molecular tests using what is referred to as Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) technology. Results are available within a few hours, depending on what kind of service is requested. Currently, in order to attend a State-run Covid-19 testing centre, patients must have a referral from a doctor. However, people can attend the private RocDoc centres and get tested without the …

IF there is one thing to take from this pandemic, according to Father Harry Bohan, it’s that we cannot return to what was ‘normal’, the future has to be different from the past. Rearing The Future: Is The Future Our Responsibility? Reflections on Irish Society and its Institutions During And Post Pandemic is the title of a new publication from Fr Bohan. A distinguished observer of Irish society for many years, he feels that Covid-19 has thrown the country off the path it was on, and that it was necessary. “Covid-19 was an unwelcome visitor in the spring of this year. This long later it looks like it’s going to continue for some time to come. Any attempt to fully interpret it is premature, but something that struck me straight away is that our post Covid world should be very different to what we came from. I think most people would agree that the future has to be different from …

An outbreak control team has been established after a number of Covid-19 cases were confirmed in patients and staff on a ward at Ennis Hospital on Thursday. An outbreak in a healthcare setting is called when there is a minimum of two positive contacts. In accordance with HPSC guidelines, an Outbreak Control Team has now been convened in Ennis Hospital and continues to work with Public Health and Occupational Health to manage the response. Testing and contact tracing of patients and staff is underway and the hospital are now, in line with the national guidance, putting into effect all the appropriate infection control measures to mitigate the risk to patients and staff. Covid-19  testing and contact tracing of both staff and patients is undertaken to ensure the protection of public health. Hospital preparedness plans are developed to support continuity of services and guide senior management to identify the level of impact on service and staff. The UL Hospitals’ Group has …

WELL known Ennistymon musician and actor, Steve Wall shared his personal experience of attending CBS Ennistymon in a school video to promote their open evening, which will be held next Tuesday night at 7pm. Last year, Steve was involved in a Creative Engagement Project with Transition Year students where he helped them to write lyrics for different music genres with a view to producing a song. Steve was following in the footsteps of well known entertainer Luka Bloom who has also worked with students in the school while local musician Jon O’Connell is overseeing this project this year. In fact, the collaboration between Luka and students resulted in the production of a compact disc. While CBS Ennistymon has a strong sporting tradition, principal, Mary Lyons stressed they also nurtured creativity of students who may not be interested in sport. As a former past pupil, Steve is no stranger to the school and he was delighted to contribute to the video …