Author name: oisinkelly

It’s reported the government has agreed to administer new Covid-19 antiviral pills here before they’re officially approved by European regulators. The Sunday Independent reports the cabinet has agreed to forgo the need for clearance from the European Medicines Agency to use new the new antiviral treatment from Pfizer, GSK and MSD. However, the Health Minister

A local councillor is welcoming the go-ahead for an airline to operate flights between Donegal and Dublin Airport. Emerald Airlines has been awarded the contract to run the PSO air service from the county from February 26th. Donegal Municipal District Councillor Tom Conaghan says the flights are important, given the lack of transport options in

As demand for PCR tests continues, the HSE this week estimated that up to 150,000 Covid-19 infections may have escaped official confirmation. From last week, symptomatic people aged between 4 and 39 were advised to contact the HSE and request for antigen tests to be sent out to them. CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid

The Education Minister says teachers should open windows “at a lower level” if their classrooms are cold. Ventilation requirements for pandemic safety have seen some classroom temperatures dip below seven degrees Celsius this week, due to open windows and a lack of HEPA-like air filtering. Health and safety rules require teaching to be suspended if

Online registration for Covid-19 vaccination for all children aged five to eleven is now open. Parents and guardians can register their children through the HSE’s website. The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan is encouraging parents to engage with the trusted medical advice from the health service before making their decision. Dr Lucy Jessop, Director

Angling clubs in Donegal are being encouraged to apply for sponsorship funding. Inland Fisheries Ireland is reminding people that the deadline for its 2022 sponsorship programme on January 21st. This year’s €30,000 fund will have a particular focus on initiatives aimed at beginners and young anglers, as well as events that promote sustainable angling tourism.

The leader of the DUP’s going to ask Westminster to set a deadline for talks on the Northern Ireland protocol. Negotiations between the EU and UK are to pick up again next week – with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss taking over from David Frost. Jeffrey Donaldson – who’s threatened to collapse power-sharing over the

The HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer says the current positivity rates are ‘mind boggling’. A quarter of all Covid-19 cases confirmed in 2021 occurred between Christmas and the New Year. Last evening, NPHET decided not to implement new restrictions despite record case numbers, as Omicron cases are causing fewer hospitalizations than previous variants. However, Dr Colm

Students of Letterkenny Institute of Technology are calling for remote exams to be introduced. Last week, the college announced that all semester 1 in-person exams were being postponed until a later date due to rising cases of Covid-19. Two options have since been proposed, one is that students sit semester 1 exams in May along

Questions are being asked of Bank of Ireland as to why a local ATM cash machine was removed in Glenties. It’s understood that the machine was taken away in recent days without any prior warning from the bank. The move comes after the Bank of Ireland branch in the town closed in recent months as

Nphet is not recommending any new restrictions, after a record number of new Covid-19 cases. 23,817 cases were reported yesterday – the highest daily figure since the pandemic began. 941 people are in hospital with the virus and 90 are in ICU. Nphet’s also understood not to have recommended any changes to the close contacts

Motorists should prepare for icy stretches this morning, with a Status Yellow Snow and Ice warning in place for the country. There has been scattered showers of hail, sleet and snow overnight, which has left hazardous conditions in some areas. The alert’s due to last until 11am. Cathal Nolan of Ireland’s Weather Channel has the

From the 1st of February, people travelling within the EU will need to be fully vaccinated or have had a booster within the past 9 months. The Department of Health says people started to receive updated Digital Covid Certs yesterday. The updated certs will reflect a person’s booster status. However People before Profit TD Paul