LAST UPDATE | 28 Apr 2021

EVERY MORNING, The Journal brings you all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. #POACHERS: Irish citizen Rory Young, who was murdered in Burkina Faso along with two Spanish journalists, was working in anti-poaching operations. Minister Simon Coveney has condemned those responsible for the attack.

2. #THE VACCINE ROLLOUT: Pregnant women between 14 and 36 weeks gestation are to be offered the Covid-19 vaccine, after a number of revised recommendations from NIAC were accepted by the Government yesterday.

3. #COVID-19 TRAGEDY: India’s Covid-19 death toll has passed 200,000, with more than 3,000 fatalities reported in 24 hours for the first time, official data showed.

4. #REHAB: Over 3,500 people were waiting for a drug or alcohol detox bed in Ireland, as of February, with over 2,200 on the waiting list for at least nine months.

5. #MOTHER & BABY HOMES: Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman is due to meet representatives of pharmaceutical giant GSK today to discuss vaccine trials that were carried out in Mother and Baby Homes and similar institutions.

6. #VAICSÍN: The HSE has apologised to Irish speakers who tried to book an appointment for a Covid-19 vaccine but were not able to do so in their first language.

7. #VACCINE EQUITY: The Irish Times is reporting that the husband of a hospital consultant at the Coombe hospital has claimed that its board is trying to silence his wife over her criticism of the controversial Covid-19 vaccinations of relatives of staff.

8. #MHQ: The Irish Independent reports that there have been 56 cases of Covid-19 detected in people staying in mandatory hotel quarantine since the system has been introduced – five of them testing positive for variants of concern.

9. #SUMMER HOLIDAYS: Spain’s tourism minister has said the country will be ready to welcome back tourists in June, as MEPs vote on whether to approve Digital Green Certificates to allow EU travel this summer for those who test negative or are vaccinated.