Tag Archives: Covid-19

UL Hospitals Group is facilitating virtual hospital visits to help keep families in touch during the COVID-19 public health emergency at local hospitals including Ennis. Wide-ranging visiting restrictions were imposed across the six acute hospitals in the MidWest on March 5 as part of efforts to reduce transmission of the virus. Additional supports were introduced for patients who could no longer look forward to a morale-boosting visit from their loved ones. The Patient Advocacy and Liaison Service (PALS) has been expanded through the recruitment of new staff and the redeployment of existing staff. PALS are present in UHL St John’s, Ennis and Nenagh hospitals and have this week commenced a service in Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. “It is a time of heightened anxiety for everybody. Hospital can be a lonely experience at the best of times and the visiting ban has only aggravated that. We identified that the PALS service could respond to the new patient needs. At UHL, we facilitated …

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has been informed that a total of 24 people with COVID-19 have died. There have now been a total 1,488 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of 11am on Tuesday the HPSC has been notified of 107 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has been one new case in Clare bringing the total in this county to 306. There is now a total of 23,242 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Sunday May 10 (23,089 cases), reveals: · 57% are female and 42% are male · the median age of confirmed cases is 49 years · 3,031 cases (13%) have been hospitalised · Of those hospitalised, 386 cases have been admitted to ICU · 6,906 cases are associated with healthcare workers · …

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has today been informed that a total of 15 people with COVID-19 have died.  There have now been a total 1,467 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of 11am today the HPSC  was notified of 139 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. Two of those cases were in Clare, bringing the total in this county to 305. There is now a total of 23,135 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread. Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Saturday 9th May (22,894 cases), reveals: · 57% are female and 43% are male · the median age of confirmed cases is 49 years · 2,998 cases (13%) have been hospitalised · Of those hospitalised, 383 cases have been admitted to ICU · 6,834 cases are associated with healthcare workers · Dublin has …

CLARE’s five Oireachtas members are now using new methods of communication such as the Zoom application during the national lockdown as a result of Covid-19 regulations Traditional tried and trusted methods such as meetings constituents in a bar or community centre in towns and villages throughout Clare are a non-runner due to new social distancing requirements. However, Clare deputies and Senator Martin Conway insist they are still busy dealing with constituents queries and concerns, Deputy Joe Carey told the Clare Champion he is very busy as he is now the only government deputy after Minister of State, Pat Breen failed to get re-elected after the recent General Election. The Clarecastle Deputy said he is receiving a lot of communication from employers, business groups and individuals concerning the impact of Covid-19 via the phone, email and social media platforms like Facebook. If people want to contact him through applications such as Zoom, he is available to use this form of communication, …

THE importance of people of all ages being aware of diabetes symptoms is even more importance during the Covid-19 lockdown, according to a local diabetes campaigner. Ennis resident Gráinne Flynn has urged everyone, not just parents, to be aware of the symptoms of diabetes known as the four T’s: toilet, thirst, thin, tired. She warned undiagnosed Type One diabetes can lead to a serious condition or fatality if untreated. “I was diagnosed as an adult. I was not where my parents could observe the dramatic changes in my physical being; I took it upon myself to seek help only after a friend noticed one of my symptoms and probably saving my life. “Imagine if my friend didn’t say anything to me because they believed that diabetes was a childhood illness? “It is extremely, extremely, important that any Type One diabetes symptom awareness campaigns strongly highlight that this diagnosis can happen at any age. Anyone who is experiencing these symptoms should …

AS is so often the case when campaigns of any sort begin, it was one single incident that led to the random act of kindness phenomenon that has unfolded in an Ennis shop. It is yet another example of how people have rallied around to help each cope with the restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stephen Coote, owner of Cootes shop and bakery at Cahercalla Cross on the Kilrush Road, is amazed by the number of people that have been drawn to the notion of “strangers helping strangers” though their local store. Trade at Cootes has been badly affected by Covid-19, as there is no activity at the Éire Óg GAA grounds across the road and nearby St Flannan’s College is closed The random act of kindness idea began on Easter Saturday, April 11, when the Covid-19 regulations were being ratcheted up. Stephen said, “A woman who was out for a walk came into the shop …

  CLARE is among the counties where employees are least equipped to work from home during the Coronavirus crisis. This has been confirmed in a survey conduced by Censuswide on behalf of OpenSky, the digital transformation specialist for government organisations and large private enterprises. The survey found that almost a quarter (22%) of Irish office workers don’t have the necessary tools (including laptop, sufficient internet speeds and secure connection to work systems) to effectively work from home. This translates to more than 300,000 people. The research, involving 1,000 adults from across Ireland, including 500 office workers, also revealed which counties are least equipped to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak. They are Offaly, Clare, Wicklow, Louth and Longford. The counties that are best equipped with the necessary tools for remote working are Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary, Wexford and Sligo. In terms of the age group that were keenest to work from home during the current coronavirus outbreak, the 35-44 category …

CLARE’S Independent TD has questioned the view that a coalition of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party is the only option when it comes to forming the next government. Deputy Michael McNamara, who has been involved with talks, alongside fellow Independents Michael Fitzmaurice (Rocommon-Galway) and Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim) about supporting such a coalition, said it may be the case that alternatives are viable, if not preferable at this point in time. This week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party he is confident a government can be formed by June. However, Deputy McNamara said it may still be the case that Fine Gael’s preference was for another General Election. “The prospect of another election might seen attractive to Fine Gael right now,” he told The Champion. “They will have to be seen to exhaust all possibilities for government formation, then to persuade President Higgins to dissolve the Dáil. The president has some discretion in that regard …