Tag Archives: Covid-19

JUST weeks after glór re-opened its doors to the public following months of lock-down the venue has once again closed as a result of Covid-19 restrictions. Under the Living with Covid Level 3 restrictions imposed from midnight on Tuesday across the country cultural attractions including arts centres such as glór, museums and galleries are closed. Orla Flanagan, director of glór, has confirmed that the county’s premiere arts venue will be closed for three weeks with planned events cancelled or postponed. “We are very disappointed to be closing our doors so soon after re-opening, and we are grateful for all the support from audiences, artists and the community particularly in the past month. We hope to be in a position to offer live performances and visual art before long, and know how valuable connection through art is, particularly in difficult times like these.” She stated that the situation will be continually monitored going forward. Glór’s box office will continue to operate …

LIBRARIES will operate a call and collect while parks and playgrounds will remain open as part of changes announced to Clare County Council’s services as the county entered Level 3 restrictions this week. The Government announced that, from midnight on Tuesday all counties including Clare would be placed on Level 3 under the Plan for Living with Covid-19. This action is based on a review of the current public health advice and is in response to the deteriorating situation with the virus across the country. All counties will be at Level 3 for a period of three weeks until midnight on October, 27, at which point the situation will be reviewed by the Government, based on the status of the virus and public health advice. According to a spokesperson for the local authority, “Clare County Council will continue to provide services in accordance with public health guidelines during this period.” Members of the public are requested to note that where …

MIXED views have been expressed by local deputies about the provision of a record €600 million for the government’s 2020/21 Winter Plan. The importance of providing an effective Winter Plan was illustrated on September 16 when 80 patients in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) were without a bed, which was the highest figure recorded in an Irish hospital since Covid-19 restrictions began. This resulted in at least eight vulnerable elderly patients being left on chairs in UHL. The INMO has called for urgent intervention from the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly with the immediate appointment of an external crisis management team to oversee governance at the hospital Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne described the Winter Plan as a “wish list” lacking in detail, targets and timelines for staff recruitment and bed delivery. “It falls far short on the number of beds and staff required to safely deliver Covid-19, non-Covid-19, and catch up care in the coming months. “Our plan, which I launched in …

NEW figures showing that Clare is among the counties with the largest number of applications for asylum have prompted concerns over the relatively high concentration of people living in Direct Provision here. With 378 applications from people living in this county, Clare ranks fourth in the latest data. Three counties – Cork, Meath and Kerry – have a greater number of applications. According to Bulelani Mfaco of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI), the number of applications reflects the relatively high number of Direct Provision centres located in Clare, as well as the level of overcrowding within them. “There is a high concentration of asylum seekers in the county between the centres at Knockalisheen, Ennis and Lisdoonvarna,” said Mr Mfaco who is lives at the Knockalisheen centre in Meelick. “That is why the figure for Clare is so high. There is also the issue of the rate of occupancy of the centres to consider. At one point, there …

AFTER consistently falling for months the number of Clare people on the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment have increased this week. The figures rose to 4,512 on September 29, compared to 4,449 a week earlier. This rise came despite 174 people in the county stopping receipt of the payment due to returning to work, meaning that another 237 people began receiving it. The Government have said that the numbers receiving the payment are likely to rise when a region goes into Level 3, but obviously Clare has not, nor have any of the counties around it. Nationally the numbers on the payment have also risen and Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said that it shows that Covid-19 is a persistent threat. “These statistics are a reminder to us all that we cannot become complacent. We’ve come too far to let our guard down now. “The next couple of weeks are crucial. If people follow the advice of NPHET, reduce their …

THE number of people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment in the Banner is now down to 4,521. At its height in early May, it was more than three times this number with 14,664 people receiving it. At this stage, many companies have resumed operations, although obviously aviation related companies in Clare are still under serious pressure. While the lack of international tourism certainly hit parts of the country hard, most of Clare’s tourism sector seems to have escaped the worst of it, with a boom in staycationers compensating for the lack of foreign visitors. This week the payments people receive were adjusted, with the top rate falling to €300, while a new rate of €250 was introduced for those whose pre-Covid earnings were between €200 and €300. There is also a lower rate of €203 for those who were earning less than €200 per week. In its recently launched Resilience and Recovery document, the government stated that there may have …

Dan Danaher and Fiona McGarry RESTRICTIONS on hospital access for the partners of pregnant women are continuing to cause concern, and have prompted a campaign being lead in Clare by the local Women’s Network. The organisation said it has received contact from a number of people affected by restrictions introduced in response to the pandemic. One woman who contacted the network was critical of the fact that people are not being prevented from attending house parties, while partners and husbands are banned from attending appointments. “I have had to go to my appointments alone,” the woman, who chose to remain anonymous, said. “I am always fearful that I could get bad news or something might happen and I have no one with me whose job is just to support me. It’s not fair that people can gather in houses and meet in pubs but I have to go through my entire pregnancy without anyone. It’s an awful burden to have …

WORK on laying the tartan track for the new Derg AC €500,000 multi-generational community facility started earlier this week. Set in idyllic surroundings in Clarisford Park, Killaloe, this impressive new development will provide athletics and leisure facilities for everyone including people with disabilities. Derg Athletic Club chairperson, Deirdre Coleman outlined that the committee and numerous volunteers are working on this project almost on a full time basis over the last four years. “This is a community training facility for everyone. It is not a competition facility. People of all ages can use it for walking or jogging. “The project started the day that lockdown ended. That was a huge decision to start a project in the middle of such uncertainty. “It is a facility that people will use even more because of Covid-19. It has taken us four years to bring this project to fruition. We are delighted to see that four years of hard work by everyone is paying …