GOOD MORNING. Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our main story today, reporter Rónán Duffy brings readers on the canvassing trail of Dublin Bay South ahead of the upcoming by-election.
A Dublin Bay South by-election was called after former Fine Gael minister Eoghan Murphy resigned his Dáil seat at the end of April. The constituency will go to the polls on 8 July.
2. Reporter Lauren Boland this morning reports some people who “urgently need” the support of HIV services have not been receiving it during the pandemic as restrictions limited the accessibility of clinics.
Closures and scaledowns of sexual health services over the last 15 months have significantly impacted access to HIV testing and support, threatening to undermine progress on HIV in Ireland.
In particular, the Gay Men’s Health Service (GMHS) in Dublin has been closed or operating with reduced services since the onset of restrictions last year.
3. Over the Covid news, public health officials yesterday confirmed a further 448 cases of the virus have been identified in Ireland.
The Department of Health has also said there were 42 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 14 people in ICU.
4. In Northern Ireland, a further 460 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded.
This is the highest daily figure since 5 February, when 506 cases of Covid-19 were recorded.
To date, a total of 2,054,420 vaccines have been administered in Northern Ireland.
5. Taoiseach Micheál Martin has called on the UK government to “reciprocate the generosity of spirit” shown by EU leaders on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
It came after UK cabinet ministers ramped up pressure for concessions on the Protocol by warning of disruption to peace if changes are not made.
Martin said the EU had demonstrated “goodwill and generosity” to the UK, with the extension to the grace period allowing chilled meats to be sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland this week.
6. Back in the Republic, a pilot music festival took place in Dublin yesterday evening as part of efforts to test the safe return to large events. Antigen tests were used for entry.
RTÉ reports more than 3,500 people attended the gig.
The event featured Irish artists Gavin James, Denise Chaila, Sharon Shannon, among others.
7. Campaigners have this week criticised the need to import blood from Britain without addressing restrictions on Irish gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
On Wednesday, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service announced it was importing a bulk consignment of blood from the UK for the first time since the late 1990s due to a current shortage in supply.
A campaigner and two groups representing gay men and men who have sex with men have criticised the importation. They said that while gay men can donate blood in the UK, the IBTS has certain restrictions.
8. Internationally, at least three people are dead after Tropical Storm Elsa battered the southern coasts of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The storm was centred about 280 kilometres east-southeast of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and was swirling west-northwest at 28km/h.
It had maximum sustained winds of 100km/h as the tropical storm, which had been a Category 1 hurricane earlier yesterday, weakened in its approach to Hispaniola and Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.
9. A major rescue operation is underway in central Japan after a landslide hit the resort of Atami, killing two people and leaving 20 others missing, the BBC reports.
Several houses were swept away by the mudslide, which followed heavy rain.
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