Thurles Information

With pandemic emergency powers expiring at midnight tomorrow, there were 12,508 new Covid-19 infections reported in the Republic of Ireland today. These include 5,381 PCR-confirmed cases, with a further 7,127 positive antigen tests, latter having been logged on the Health Service Executive portal.

[Sadly, once again we had a Tipperary time wasting, politician, namely Independent TD Mattie McGrath, embarrassing his Tipperary electorate in Dáil Éireann, while claiming he had a petition with 3,000 signatures, all from people demanding that pandemic emergency powers be ended.]

This morning 1,610 patients with coronavirus were in our hospitals up from 1,605 yesterday and of these 49 are being treated in intensive care units across the Republic.

The total number of Covid-19-related deaths, since the start of the pandemic in the Republic, stands at 6,730 as per yesterday March 29th.

In Northern Ireland, a further 1,414 cases of coronavirus were reported today, down from 1,731 cases yesterday.
Today, there were 529 people with Covid-19 in hospital in Northern Ireland, with 5 patients in intensive care units.

Sadly, 5 new Covid-19-related deaths have also been reported in Northern Ireland today, bringing the total number of deaths linked to Covid-19, since the start of the pandemic, to 3,320.

Remember mask-wearing, although a minor inconvenience for people, could bring this wave of the Covid-19 virus to a much faster conclusion.

Clare Independent TD Mr Michael McNamara has received confirmation, from the HSE, that a number of new Clinical and Diagnostic Chronic Disease posts are being recruited for the Midwest region, through the University Hospital Limerick Group.

The posts include a Consultant in Respiratory Medicine with a Special Interest in Chronic Disease, a Consultant in Cardiology with a Special Interest in Chronic Disease Respiratory, and Cardiac Physiologists with administrative support. A Senior Medical Laboratory Scientist has already commenced and with the provision of this post NTproBNP blood screening now available to GPs across the Midwest.

“I would hope the HSE expedites the filling of these positions so that extensive waiting lists for chronic disease services across the wider region can be reduced,” commented Deputy McNamara.

He continued, “It is also important that patients can receive these services closer to home without the need for travelling long distances.”

The HSE confirmed the news to Deputy McNamara in response to his Parliamentary Questions about lengthy waiting lists for podiatry services in County Clare. There are currently 542 patients waiting to be called for their first appointment and 3,461 patients on the active database in County Clare.

In a written response to Deputy McNamara, the Head of Service for HSE Primary Care Services confirmed 20 full-time specialist roles are to be assigned to a new Chronic Disease Team in Clare specialising in cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and Type II Diabetes. Based at the new Primary Care Centre on the Station Road in Ennis, services will be provided on a “hub and spoke model” across the county.

Recruitment has already commenced in respect of the positions, which include Specialist, Senior and Staff Grade Podiatrists; Senior and Staff Grade Dieticians; Diabetic Clinical Nurse Specialists; Clinical Specialist; Senior and Staff grade Physiotherapists; Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialists; Cardiology Clinical Nurse Specialists; Staff Nurse; Staff Grade Clinical Psychologist; and Managerial and Administrative support.

The Department of Health in the Republic of Ireland has confirmed 9,324 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19, together with 10,542 positive antigen tests, logged through the HSE portal in the past 24 hours; bringing the overall total to 19,866 or 21,776 on the Irish mainland.

As of this morning, there were 1,466 Covid patients clogging our hospitals, up 41 on the same time yesterday. Of these there remain 55 patients being treated in the Republics ICU’s, across the country, an increase of 2 on yesterday.

These figures are announced, as a professor of Experimental Immunology at Trinity College, Dublin, Professor Mr Kingston Mills has stated that the surge in Covid cases was inevitable as it is difficult to stop transmission if people are not wearing their masks.

In Northern Ireland, a further 1,910 cases of coronavirus were reported on today, down from 2,524 cases on yesterday.

There are 528 patients with Covid in northern hospitals, down from 538 on yesterday, with 7 of these patients in intensive care units.
Sadly, 5 new Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland today, bringing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths since the start of the pandemic to 6,693 as of yesterday.