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LAST UPDATE | 14 Oct 2021
HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE engaging in a twin-track drive to increase Covid-19 vaccination and to urge people not to leave their home if they have symptoms.
The push comes amid a rise in Covid-19 case rates with NPHET’s head of modelling Professor Philip Nolan saying that high vaccination rates are preventing a surge of infections.
Nolan told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne programme that the balance between relying on vaccination rates and people’s behaviour to keep Covid-19 rates under control has changed, and that a shift in collective behaviour is required.
Yesterday, 2,066 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland were confirmed – with 408 patients in hospital testing positive for Covid-19, of which 69 were in ICU.
Over the past week, the average number of cases per day has increased from 1,100 to 1,600.
Nolan said that the county is “unlikely to see a major surge” like in previous points during the pandemic, but that this is solely down to vaccination rates. He encouraged those who have not yet availed of a vaccine to do so.
Currently, fewer than 10% of the adult population is unvaccinated, but those who have not been vaccinated make up about half of those hospitalised with Covid-19 and two- thirds of those in ICU.
“Fundamentally we’re on a knife edge here, balanced between the protection of vaccination, which is offering this huge protection,” he said.
For people who are not yet vaccinated or haven’t completed their vaccination regimen, we as a society need to do everything we can to encourage and support those people to take up the vaccine, for whatever reason they’ve avoided to date, see what can we do to encourage them.
Nolan added that there is an important message too for people who are vaccinated and that is to “continue to observe the basic measures” around mask-wearing and not socialising when they have symptoms.
He said that someone leaving their home with cold or flu-like symptoms “has to become socially unacceptable in the way that drink driving has become socially unacceptable”.
If you have symptoms presume it’s Covid or presume it’s any respiratory virus and you do not want to transmit Covid or any respiratory virus right now in society. We have a real concern that those measures, and in particular that measure, self-isolated if symptomatic and seek medical advice, that they may be slipping and that’s kind of pushed us to the wrong side of the knife edge.
Restrictions
Nolan’s comments have come after a meeting of senior officials yesterday heard that Ireland’s Covid-19 situation has taken an unexpected turn, throwing into doubt the further easing of remaining restrictions next week.
On 22 October all remaining Covid-19 restrictions are scheduled to be lifted, including requirements for social distancing, indoor mask-wearing and limits on numbers at events. The changes essentially herald the return of businesses like nightclubs
However, the government is now seeking detailed data from health officials on the breakdown and make up of the increasing Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalisations ahead of next week’s Cabinet meeting on the final easing of restrictions.
While there are concerns at senior level about the increase in Covid numbers, government sources state they are “optimistic” that things can go to plan on Friday week.
Health officials have warned against complacency, but sources said the probing of data is needed before next week’s meeting, with one source stating that it is important to understand the causes behind the increases.
They added that Cabinet members are all to aware that there is no appetite from the public to delay the final easing of restrictions, which is why a deep dive into the numbers and is what is needed.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said last night that although there has been a good uptake of Covid-19 vaccines in recent months, those who had not been vaccinated were having a “disproportionate” impact on the health service.
Unfortunately, there are still just under 300,000 adults who have not come forward for vaccination and a further 70,000 people have received just one dose of a two-dose schedule.
Following those remarks, it is understood ministers are now seeking additional breakdowns of the number of vaccinated people that test positive for the virus and feature in the daily case number notifications.
People who are fully vaccinated can still transmit and contract Covid-19, though their symptoms are much milder. Vaccines help prevent serious illness and death.
Over 90% of over 16s in Ireland are fully vaccinated.
Health officials are also being asked for the daily hospital figures of people that are Covid-positive patients because of the viral infection, against patients who are in hospital for an injury or other illness, but who happen to test positive for Covid-19.
HSE warning
The HSE today warned that it is experiencing the strain of increased Covid-19 hospitalisations heading into the winter period.
Chief Operations Officer of the HSE Anne O’Connor told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that in recent weeks more people are being admitted to hospital for non-Covid reasons with increased attendance at emergency departments.
With more than 400 people in hospital with Covid-19, however, O’Connor said a number of hospitals including in Galway, Limerick and Cork are experiencing the strain on non-Covid services.
“Across our whole system last night we had less than 100 beds available and that will impact on a day-by-day basis in any surge whether it’s to do with Covid or flu season, sometimes we have to scale back on activity,” she said.
O’Connor also noted that about two-thirds of people currently in ICU are unvaccinated against Covid-19 and that about 50% of admissions to hospital are among this cohort.
‘Wrong turn’
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said yesterday that he “can’t guarantee” that the remaining Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted next week following a “wrong turn” in the trajectory of the virus.
Martin told reporters that the government must await “further presentations from” NPHET and that no decision has been made as yet.
Martin added to this at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night, saying there has been a “sudden increase of cases” which is leading the government to reconsider next week’s easing of restrictions.
“There are some issues of concern with Covid. There has been a sudden increase of cases and mortality has been rising compared to the summer,” he said.
We will weigh everything up as we progress towards the 22nd.
Varadkar also told his party meeting last night that the metrics are worrying and going in the wrong direction.
He outlined that more than 300,000 adults have not taken the vaccine. He said it is a personal choice for everyone but that those choices have effects on other people.
He said government will discuss the rising Covid numbers and make a decision on the October 22nd reopening date at next Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.
The Taoiseach also confirmed last night that the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) is expected to make the recommendation on booster vaccines over the coming days.
Once made, the government “will ensure that the vaccines will be rolled out without delay,” he said.
However, there are concerns in government circles that NIAC is “too slow” in making its recommendation, with questions being asked as to why an extensive booster programme is not already getting underway.
With reporting by Cónal Thomas and Rónán Duffy
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Even god struggles to pay a Dublin rent ;)
@Basildon Joe: That explains a lot …
@Jack Hayes: Obnoxious git!
@Basildon Joe: Illiterate yob.
@Brendan O’Brien: are you in your little underpants, grinding and gnashing your teeth, hands shaking? lol
@Dave G Doe: yes I especially like the part where he tells slaves to be happy with their lot
@Dermot Blaine: God is the greatest
@Dave G Doe: Estimates suggest that there are at least 100,000 different gods worshiped on earth today, so which one? Surely they can’t all be good?
@Meatball Martin: yes, all hail the mighty Odin. Now there’s a god who gets things done.
@Basildon Joe: You like your fiction then?
But to be fond of stories that glorify crimes against humanity is disturbing.
@Dermot Blaine: chuckling at your multiple accounts lol
@Brendan O’Brien: Heat wave.
@Meatball Martin: chuckle away, but I have one, and only one, account.
@Brendan O’Brien: another post ruined by you and Basildon Joe, I honestly pity you both, got nothing going on in your pathetic lives than to type absolute sh!te on here every waking hour
@Dermot Blaine: yeah nothing like sacrificing people. I suppose we are still doing it with the unborn.
@daragh harmon: Jesus was sacrificed, wasn’t he? And he’s sacrificed again at every mass, and he body eaten and blood drank. Also, your god aborts more ‘unborns’ than humanity does.
@daragh harmon: no one kills babies like God does tho
@Basildon Joe: you’ve just proved my above comment….brain dead
Maybe Enoch and his god botherers should have saved this business rather than clogging up the court services
@Meatball Martin: Does your mammy wait for you there or does she drop you off and come back for you afterwards?
@Dave G Doe: imagine being a gas-lighter so openly for all to see!
@Dave G Doe: That isn’t what happened.
Unfortunately he is still being paid, despite being unemployable. (There is no way any Irish school will employ him.)
@Meatball Martin: you couldn’t box your way outta a wet paper bag ,away you go with your talking shi##
@Basildon Joe: right eno
@Basildon Joe: it’s more than his hand you would shake
@Jason Memail: ah, babby is upset
@Dave G Doe: That’s not why he was jailed.
@sean weir: chuckling at your angry and frustrated comments lol
@Meatball Martin: I am neither angry or frustrated,just a pity that you have taken over the comment section with your half dozen bs accounts.
Oh well I suppose that is what happens when you don’t work and sit at home in your bedroom all day ,must be a blessing for you after getting kicked of X .
You can maybe try for that job stacking shelves in your Dunn’s
@sean weir: ah, you are lol
@FoxyBoiiYT: maybe Allah and da lads will buy the lease
@Pork Hunt: Winner of the saddest comment of the day but you did have a lot of competition, from yourself I’d imagine.
@FoxyBoiiYT: what does this comment even mean???????
@Dave G Doe: no it wont
@Brian D’Arcy: surprised U could pull Ur head out of Ur jam roll it’s so swollen
@Dave G Doe: what’s that got to do with Veritas?
@Meatball Martin: TROLL ALERT
@A D: Enoch Burke showed up outside the school again today.
When asked by the media, he said “It’s not the first day I have been out in the cold. I am not protesting, I am reporting for work.”
I suppose his father is driving him several hours to get there, and collect him. It’s obvious the fines need to be increased.
@A D: isn’t his father in prison because he refused to accept a suspended sentence and chose to do the time instead?
@FoxyBoiiYT: Not his type of Christianity, he is an evangelist, much more Old Testament Fire and Brimstone type pf guy!
@A D: Nope, Daddy is in Mountjoy at the moment for assaulting a Garda in the court! He got two months!
Another little bit of what Was a Great City centre, gone
@RIP: a Catholic book store that no one wanted or needed. I’m sure we’ll recover.
@eoin fitzpatrick: You can just order your “religion of peace” brainwashing scripture online instead. Sorted.
@eoin fitzpatrick: you speak for everyone? How cute
@Meatball Martin: well, it would hardly have gone out of business if it was wanted, would it?
@Marvin Dollery: you lot are just completely obsessed with Muslims
@Soundy Sound: technology
@eoin fitzpatrick: No, you lot are. So much so you want Ireland filled with them. Then it’s game over. Women should worry about weak men like you ever getting power or say.
@eoin fitzpatrick:
I hope you won’t find yourself in the same situation
@Colm Molloy: i wont be opening a catholic book store any time soon don’t worry, that would be a braindead business move
@Meatball Martin: no, he just speaks for the majority
@eoin fitzpatrick: speak for yourself. I loved to visit that shop and did so regularly.
@eoin fitzpatrick: . the last good book I read was ‘Black Flies’ by Shannon Burke
Another opening for a dodgy vape shop/barber/ nail saloon. Maybe even a coffee shop
@Thomas Sheridan: what’s dodgy about vape shops?
@Thomas Sheridan: or another nice cafe like Tang a few doors down? must be hard being so miserable all the time
@eoin fitzpatrick: Somewhere for bellends to take coffee cup pics for their insta page. How exciting.
@Marvin Dollery: horrible people
@Marvin Dollery: no its a place you eat nice food and drink things. What is wrong with you lot? So much frustration and anger in you.
@eoin fitzpatrick: which are already 10 a penny in most towns. paying 4 or 5 euro to someone to mix beans with hot water. of which the farmer is earning a fraction of 1 cent for providing said beans.
@Niall English: cafes are popular. who’d have thunk it?
Any remaining book stores’ fiction departments will be more than plenty.
@Jack Hayes: bitter man.
@Injustice Cop: Which part of what Jack wrote is wrong?
And which part is bitter?
Would it not be far more true that it is you who is bitter that your religion of lies, misery and evil is being discarded by society, and that you will no longer be able to control people and commit evil with impunity?
@Injustice Cop: So you don’t understand the meaning of the word ‘bitter’. Get better soon.
@Jack Hayes: funny
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: No, it would not be far more true that I am bitter for pointing out a disrespect comment that can easily be interpreted as being from a bitter person. You think religion has the monopoly on evil? Risible and quite puerile commentary from, what appears to be an ingénue. Good luck to you!
@Jack Hayes: have you ever heard the expression “be better not bitter”? I wish you well Jack.
Lol this will rile up a few angry atheists
@Meatball Martin: I’m not angry, in fact I’m a bit said. Religious faith gives piece and support to many, that that is fine for them. Even as an Atheist I believe Jesus existed and wrote important pacifist teachings, that accepted the marginalised and downtrodden, which is all the more remarkable given the context of the time, a brutal Roman occupation. People are welcome to their beliefs once they don’t force it on others, or indeed use to to conquer land and minds.
@Meatball Martin: Why would someone that is Atheist get riled up? It’s not as if they use the store.
@Meatball Martin: The usual flawed logic from Meathead Martin.
@Enoch Kochwomble: heh heh
@Jack Hayes: yup
@Enoch Kochwomble: lol
@FFS This: they are angry because other people aren’t
@David Jordan: Actually,not only is there no evidence that Jesus existed, there is growing that there was never any such character.
But that would only continue the tradition of lying in the Bible and the Church’s teachings in general.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: chuckling at your anger and frustration lol
@Meatball Martin: What is there for me to be frustrated about?
The continuing rejection of evil is a cause for celebration, if anything, and certainly not a source of anger.
Perhaps some relief too.
For as time goes on there will be less and less evil, less and less abuse sourced in this religion that worships evil, in our world.
@David Jordan: jesus wrote nothing, he would most have been illiterate had he existed, for which there is no proof. There is also nothing in his teachings startingly original either.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: There’s independent evidence that a person, called Jesus by his early followers after his execution, did indeed exist. We find Jesus (not named as Jesus, but identified as a charismatic Jewish religious leader) mentioned by several Roman writers. Josephus, Tacitus, Pliny the Younger and Suetonius.
While some accounts were certainly embellished by early christians (Josephus), most secular scholars agree these contemporary and near contemporary accounts give credence to the existence of an important jewish religious leader who was executed by the Romans around 30 – 35 AD, that christians would call Jesus. He was not the only Messiha.
One of the most prominent other Messiahs, not long after Jesus, was Simon bar Kokhba, who led the Bar Kokhba revolt (135 AD). His death led to the ultimate schism between Jewish Christians and Jews (up to about 100 AD, Jewish Christian were permitted to pay in synagogues, as they were considered to be a sect within Judaism, but their decision to accru members who were not Jewish by doing away with Jewish Mosaic law, led to friction and opposition).
It is fascinating to see that in the first couple of decades after Jesus’ death, his followers mostly stuck to recruiting other Jews, but after that did not work out a few disciples broke ranks and started recruiting non-Jews. This led to arguments within the early Jewish Christian sect, and in 48-50 AD, in Council of Jerusalem, they decided to end the requirement for Mosaic law, circumcision, and officially open their sect to non-Jews.
But it wasn’t until c. 135 AD (around the time of the death of Simon bar Kokhba) that Christians were fully seperate from Judaism, an official document was published and read in Synagogues excommunicating them. This separation also consolidated Jewish identity, since identity is often only defined by self-identity, but knowing who you are not.
It is actually fascinating to read about how the decisions they made were practical and logical, not directed by religious revelation or direction, but they just changed the rules to suit themselves as they needed more members. And that’s why they got kicked out of synagogues, too much prostalysing and opening up to non-Jews. So we have Christianity, not a sect that remained within judaism, once popular but withered and died.
By the way, a lot of numerology (number 3, 7, 14, 40 etc.) and symbology in the the New Testament was written for Jews who would have understood the meaning of specific symbols. These symbols were incorporated into the NT when Jewish Christians were trying hard to convert other Jews from within Judaism. The meaning of this numerology were lost by the time Christianity got to Rome, early 2nd century, but they compensated with the Book of Revelations, that added a lot of symbology and hidden meaning about Emperor Nero (died 68 AD) that kept Roman citizens interested.
@David Jordan: none of your “evidence” stands up to scrutiny. In a court of law, all the evidence for jesus would be disallowed as heresay. There were several Jewish teachers, indeed non Jewish too, but one of the criticisms by non Christian scholars of Christians was that these stories were allegorical and never meant to be taken literally. Even Josephus in his mention of Christians, described their beliefs as superstitious nonsense, albeit his mentions of the cult don’t stand up to scrutiny. Deification was common at the time, many Roman emperors were declared to be divine, including one contempory of Jesus whose name escapes me at the minute. This Emperor had an auspicious birth, raised the dead and there are contemporary references to his Gospel. I believe it’s all mythology.
@Meatball Martin: I don’t see that, where are you getting your misinformation from?
@Dermot Blaine: I am not claiming that Jesus was divine or supernatural, I’m merely pointing out there is reason to believe that there was a historical person who fits the description of a physical person no more supernatural than you or me, who likely founded an Jewish Christian (Nazarenes) sect in the early 1st century, when Judaism was was in turmoil due to Roman occupational and Greek Hellenisation. It’s just interesting to read how the geopolitics of the time and a few clever decisions made by the sect ensured Christianity ended up a dominant world religion.
Even through some slime burps from the usual chatroom armpits, this has been a better read than the article. The problem with atheism tho is that it does owe part of its development to Christian theology
@Meatball Martin: Atheists don’t give a flying fk about religious nonsense. The closure is a progressive sign that society is moving on from the church.
@Thesaltyurchin: Remember folks, go out and sin, or Jesus died for nothing…
Thankfully, we have Fianna Fail back in government, it is wise to keep the strong bond with the Church, as a staunchly Catholic nation, it is imperative that we hold on to wholesome family values
@Meatball Martin: what like shagging small boys and kidnapping women then selling their babies
@sean weir: enough about Sinn Fein, please
@Meatball Martin: Your ‘values’ (fear, hatred, mindless violence) are not Christian ones. You need to give up the oul’ multi-ID trolling.
@Meatball Martin: lol or the FG senator , Dr perv
@Meatball Martin: TROLL ALERT
Let me get this straight, who wrote these “Religious” books? Certainly wasn’t a typing pool of Angels or Gods, it was busybody humans. And they certainly didn’t “channel the word of God”, maybe the other voices in their heads, not “God”. Good Riddance to fake industries like these, preying on the poor and gullible.
@Meh Meh: In the beginning man created gods.
Brenny has his usual multiple accounts out for this one lol
@Dave G Doe: I see he has the Dermot Blaine one out now lol
Good news
@Alex: well for stained people like yourself..yeah it is
@Clare Power: poor little Clare. Did Alex hurt your feelings? Lmao
Good riddance.
About time! Hopefully the stop producing backward religion books for primary schools Alive-oh no
@FoxyBoiiYT: what Enoch proved is that if you are male and break a court order you will be jailed.
@AnthonyK: no, if you accept that it is biologically impossible for a boy to become a girl, then you will be jailed
@Meatball Martin: he got jailed because he wouldn’t call a him a her. Absolutely bananas. If a non Christian did it no problem. Norma Foley washed her hands totally if it.
@Pork Hunt: yes, but the anti Catholic bigots on here can’t accept that it’s not about religion, but everything to do with science, it’s a biological fact
@Dave G Doe: simps
@Pork Hunt: I am not religious but I despise the woke trash.
@Pork Hunt: he got jailed for disobeying a court order, which was put in place because of his behaviour. Which order he disobey again yesterday. Norma Foley couldn’t do anything as the hearing into his dismissal hasn’t yet taken place, why? because Burke keeps blocking it. She did keep paying his salary though, I wouldn’t have. He needs psychiatric help, he’s got a martyr complex.
@Dermot Blaine: he didn’t call the trans by the new name got kangaroo courted by school BOM and didn’t agree with procedure. Norma coulda stepped in and said cop on the lot of ya but was fine to stay mute and woke off
@Dermot Blaine: he got jailed because he ain’t woke, Brenny
@Meatball Martin: But it’s not biologically impossible for a physical male to become a physical female, and vice versa, is it?
Whoever educated you failed you.
Perhaps, on this evidence alone, you could take a case?
On the other hand, your educators might cite your intelligence as a defense.
@Pork Hunt: there was a hearing pending into his intolerant and uncaring refusal to agree to the request of a troubled teen, but before the hearing could happen, he verbally attacked the school principal at a social event, for which he was rightly fired. There are ongoing attempts to have a hearing into his sacking, but he keeps blocking it. And he keeps blocking it because he knows he will lose and his salary will stop. Even the evangelical groups in the US who originally supported him have run a mile. I blame the mother, poor lad needs mental help. This is 100% on him and his dysfunctional family.
@ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: so a male can become pregnant, have periods, and breast feed? I must have been asleep in class when they covered that chapter, ya clown lol
@Dermot Blaine: 100% lunatics
@Pork Hunt: Nothing to do with the child involved, he was told not to go to the school by the judge aka by court order and broke it.
Nothing else. They are the facts. Clear and simply put.
@Meatball Martin: No, loads of people believe that and there is no court order saying you cannot believe that.
There is one saying that Enoch cannot go to the school!
Facts, they really upset people at times.
@Dermot Blaine: The entire family have one!
@Pork Hunt: There are procedures to follow and they were. The Ministers staff would have checked them to see everything was done correctly. If they were there is nothing that she can do. She too has to follow the rules and regulations and the procedures and protocols in the department.
@Meatball Martin: Repeating the same issue which has nothing to do with the court order changes nothing!
@Meatball Martin: As usual, you’re wrong and a liar but you just can’t help yourself.
@Pork Hunt: You’re fkin wrong. He got jailed for breaking a court order.
@Pork Hunt: nothing to do with that. He got jailed because he was asked to stay away from the school and refused to do so. Disobeying a court order is a crime. He didn’t lose his job because he didn’t adhere to a child’s pronouns. He lost his job because he assaulted his principal.
@Pork Hunt: Imagine calling religion a subject
@Jason Memail: It is. Subject to ridicule.
Lol. A good news story.
Can’t comment on the 20 cold asylum lads in Kildare , they are cold boohoo don’t have power like 40k others boohoo
@Pork Hunt: pretty low hanging fruit, even for you.
Fantastic news all around
DOWN WITH THIS SORT OF THING!
“Priests socks” that’s a shade of black so dark that it doesn’t allow light to escape.
Nude Nuns With Big Guns
That will make a lot of people cross.
Another vape shop! Holy smoke!
Noooo! No more opium for the people. Not to worry, plenty of other options in that particular location.
have your say