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Tag Archives: Covid-19

UHL breaks pandemic record for patients kept on trolleys

OVERCROWDING at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is continuing to create records for the wrong reasons after 91 patients were left waiting for a hospital bed on Tuesday. UHL continues to record the highest number of patients on trolleys this week, and the level of overcrowding is considerably worse than most acute hospitals throughout the country. In fact, the Trolley Watch figure of 91 on Tuesday is just one short of 92, the record for the highest number of patients on trolleys for an acute hospital – set in UHL on January 6, 2020. This figure is the highest for any acute hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, and shows no signs of reducing dramatically in light of the huge surge in hospital admissions in recent weeks. The number of patients on trolleys in UHL went up from 67 on Friday to 90 on Monday, climbed slightly to 91 on Tuesday before a slight reduction to 90 on Wednesday. There were 44 …

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Shannon Heritage posts loss of €3 million

SHANNON Heritage made a loss of over €3 million in 2020, according to a newly filed financial statement. The business review section of the document noted that effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and its impact on tourism. It stated that the pandemic led to the closure of “significant elements of the company’s business at various times in 2020” and has had a significant and ongoing negative impact on inbound international tourism. The review stated, “In March, following the imposition of Government restrictions, all sites were closed and since then business operations and the opening of the company’s attractions continues to be dictated by the prevailing Government advice. “All banqueting activity ceased in March and has not recommenced since then and the timing of the return of banqueting activities remains uncertain. “Two of our seasonal day visitor sites, Dunguaire and Craggaunowen did not open in 2020.” It noted that since March, the company has had substantial staff numbers on …

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€28.7 million drop in Shannon Airport Authority turnover

A NEWLY filed financial statement from the Shannon Airport Authority illustrates the damage done in a disastrous 2020. Turnover had been €46 million in 2019, but it fell to €17.3 million in 2020. While there had been a profit of €2.7 million in 2019, last year saw a loss of €9 million before exceptional items and of €36.6 million when they were included. The exceptional items included expenditure of just over €3 million on a voluntary severance scheme and a loss of almost €24.5 million related to an impairment of fixed assets. While the financial performance was way back on 2019, the directors felt things could have been worse. “The Board is satisfied with the financial performance of the company in 2020 given the catastrophic impact of Covid-19.” It noted that passenger numbers had fallen dramatically. “Passenger numbers of 350k were down 80.2 when compared to 2019. It was an unprecedented year for the aviation sector given the global impact …

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Maternity Hospital Introduces Breastfeeding Initiatives

WHILE maternity services have been forced to adapt delivery of care due to the pandemic, Covid-19 has not prevented a number of initiatives around breastfeeding at University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL). National Breastfeeding Week is taking place October 1st to 7th with the theme this year of “Feeding the Future-Supporting Breastfeeding through the Pandemic and Beyond”. Breastfeeding rates in Ireland are among the lowest in the world but in July 2021 UMHL saw its highest initiation rate ever with 67.3% of babies having breast milk as their first feed. Clinical Midwife Managers in Infant Feeding, Helen Byrt and Carmen Murphy outline a number of initiatives around breastfeeding at UMHL. Breastfeeding has many proven health benefits for mother and baby. The World Health Organisation and the HSE recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life; with the addition of solid food at six months and continued breastfeeding to two years and beyond. Immediate skin-to-skin contact at birth …

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TD says apprentices face two-year delay

Pandemic not sufficient excuse for training backlog, claims McNamara YOUNG Clare apprentices are being told their four-year training programme will now take six years to complete due to chronic backlogs, a local deputy has claimed. Deputy Michael McNamara estimates up to 3,500 craft plumbing and electrical apprenticeships are being delayed throughout the country. Speaking in the Dáil on Tuesday, Deputy McNamara said he didn’t doubt the difficulties Covid-19 caused for vocational training in education and training boards, ETBs, and colleges across the State. However, he doesn’t believe that those difficulties are a sufficient excuse. “We need these workers to be trained and to enter the workforce. We also need to ensure they realise how valued they are, because 5,500 trainees left apprenticeships over the past five years. “I do not know why this happened. I am not saying all of it was because of delays or even any of it was necessarily because of delays. “However, I know many of …

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Walk-in Clinics Continue For Covid-19 Vaccination

  Walk-in vaccination clinics for adults, and children aged 12 and over, are being held in Mid-West Covid-19 Vaccination Centres over the weekend. The clinics will be held in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, this Saturday, and in the vaccination centres at Limerick Racecourse and the West County Hotel, Ennis, on Sunday. These local clinics form part of the nationwide effort to maximise uptake for Pfizer Dose 1&2, and to ease access for those people who have received AstraZeneca Dose 1 and who now, as per national guidance, can receive the Pfizer vaccine as their second dose. Clare people can receive this Pfizer Dose 1 and 2 in the Nenagh Abbey Court Hotel on Saturday from 9am to 6pm. On Saturday, there will be a walk-in clinic in Limerick Racecourse for those wishing to receive Prizer 1 and 2 between 9am and 6pm. Pfizer Dose 1 and 2 will also be administered in Treacy’s West County Hotel, Ennis on Sunday …

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Hospital faces war on three fronts

UHL reports 89 suspected cases of Covid-19, the highest figure of any hospital in the country UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick is coming under considerable pressure dealing with overcrowding, a Covid-19 outbreak in two wards as well as looking after an “extraordinarily” high number of patients with suspected incidence of the virus, it emerged this week. The flaghship hospital was treating 89 suspected cases of Covid-19, compared with 23 in St James’ Hospital, Dublin, five in Sligo and four in University College Hospital, Galway on Tuesday. It also had the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country with 23, one higher than Cork University Hospital on 22. An analysis of offical Covid-19 figures in public hospitals has revealed 11 hospital had no suspected case, four had one case, six had two cases and four had three cases on Tuesday. This has been a trend for a number of days. HSE statistics show there were 86 suspected Covid-19 cases in UHL …

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2,636 still on PUP in Clare as phasing out process begins

THE phasing out of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is underway with the top three rates reducing by €50, meaning that a person previously receiving €350 will now get €300 per week. Students who will be in full time education for the coming academic year have already received their final payment. In Clare, the most recent figures show that the county had 2,636 people receiving the payment on September 7. This was a drop of over 500 on the previous week and this probably reflects the number of students no longer receiving it. While the figure is more than 8,500 less than the equivalent in early February, it is still substantial. There were also 4,111 signing on the live register in Clare last month The PUP has been the target of much criticism in recent weeks, with businesses particularly in hospitality struggling to recruit staff. With the departure of students from the sector, this has led to a crisis for some. …

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