Author name: oisinkelly

  A senior Government Minister says it’s his belief that staff at Letterkenny University Hospital will be offered the Covid-19 vaccine in the coming days. Elsewhere, well over 3,500 people have had their first vaccine shot in the last week — with clinics to be extended nationwide in the coming days. It’s after two thousand […]

    A Public Health expert has reiterated comments that if Covid-19 was affecting animals or poultry, there would be an all-island approach to the virus by now. Dr. Gabriel Scally has long been calling on Governments North and South “to declare an all-island emergency” to tackle rising Covid cases on both sides of the

  A Donegal GP says the county is in a very precarious position with Covid-19 and is urging the public to treat everyone as if they were infectious. 194 new cases were confirmed in Donegal last night with the county’s 14 day incidence rate now standing at 826.7. Stranorlar based GP Denis McCauley, who’s also

  A South Inishowen Councillor says people in his area are growing increasingly pessimistic over the planned reopening date for schools. It follows calls on the Education Minister to clarify when schools will reopen. They are due to welcome back students on January 11th – however there are fears that won’t happen due to surging

  There are urgent calls on both the Taoiseach and the Minister Charlie McConalogue to seek a re-negotiation of access to Irish fishing waters following the outcome of the Brexit trade deal. Sinn Féin spokesperson on Fisheries and the Marine and Donegal Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn believes the deal amounts to another 15% cut in

  There are calls on the Government to urgently announce its plans for schools to re-open after Christmas. Opposition parties will meet with Ministers later today, with schools due to welcome back students on January 11th. Sinn Féin’s Donnchadh O’Laoghaire says it’s hard to see how schools can open safely, given the spiralling cases of

The Transport Minister says reducing the exercise limit from 5 kilometres to 2 is among the possibilities if Level 5 restrictions don’t work this month. However Eamon Ryan says government will wait to see if the current measures stem rising infection rates. Almost 3,400 Covid-19 cases were recorded here yesterday – a figure that includes

Ireland’s hospitals will be “overrun” by Covid-19 if the current growth rate continues, according to the HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer. 673 coronavirus patients are being treated in hospitals, an increase of 92 since yesterday morning. Dr. Colm Henry’s warning the current trend means hospitals can expect up to 3,000 admissions by the end of the

Nursing Homes Ireland says only residents who are Covid positive will have their vaccination delayed. It’s after HSE documents seen by the Irish Independent recommended deferring the dose until four weeks after the first positive test. Vaccinations are due to begin in Nursing homes on Monday, with the target completion date set at the end

The Chief Medical Officer is warning the health system won’t be able to cope with the increasing number of people being hospitalised with Covid-19. There are 581 patients with the virus in hospital this morning – up 73 since yesterday – and Dr Tony Holohan says 50 to 70 people are being admitted every day.

A public health expert believes we’re only in the ‘foothills’ of the third wave of COVID-19. People who are identified as close contacts of a confirmed case are no longer being tested, unless they are symptomatic and have a referral from a GP. Non-essential retail and gyms closed their doors last night, following the government’s

The new EU-UK Trade Deal has come into effect from today, with the provisions to be comprehensively reviewed in five years time. However, that won’t be the only chance to alter the terms of the deal, with several committees established to review the deal on an ongoing basis. During a special Brexit feature last evening,

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly are debating the return to school after the Education Minister announced the majority of pupils would be taught remotely next week. Rising Covid-19 infection rates have led to the move, however classrooms in the north will still accommodate vulnerable children and those of key workers. The Education minister says

A Donegal councillor says increased North South cooperation in the area of health may provide a blueprint for a United Ireland. This week once again saw ambulance crews from the Republic provide cover and support to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Cllr Michael Cholm Mac GiollaEasbuig says this is to be welcomed, but it’s not

A Finn Valley councillor says it’s important that the Environmental Protection Agency becomes closely involved in discussions relating to a landslide at a windfarm construction site close to the Barnesmore Gap. Last month’s incident at Meenbog brought thousands of tonnes of peat and trees down the hillside and into the River Finn. The Belfast Telegraph

The UK’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union will take effect tonight – after it was signed into law in the early hours of this morning. The transition period ends tonight, 11 months after Britain left the EU. Boris Johnson says “a new beginning” will be marked in the country’s history, while the EU’s

  Health Experts are urging people not to attend New Years celebrations tonight. The Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan says it’s essential that everyone restricts their movements, and stays at home. Dr Ray Walley, GP Advisor to the HSE, says house parties will absolutely cause further people to get sick……… 1,718 new cases of

  Non-essential retail is opening for the final day for at least a month, as the country has entered its third lockdown. Household visits were banned at midnight, and school holidays have been extended until the second week of January. The measures are due to end on January 31st. Taoiseach Micheál Martin says the Government

  There will be no Garda checkpoints on the Border after the Brexit deadline passes tomorrow night. But the force says there will be more patrols and “roving checkpoints” in border counties. The force says it’s bulked up Garda numbers by a fifth in the region since 2016. Garda spokesman Liam Geraghty says border communities

    A West Tyrone MLA says there’s serious concern at the prospect of schools reopening next week, given the numbers of COVID-19 cases and presence of a new variant. It comes as the North has returned a record number of daily cases. There have been a 2,143 new confirmed cases there in the last