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The Department of Health has confirmed 4,181 new cases of Covid-19 in the Irish Republic, within the past 24 hours.
There remain 668 patients in the Republic’s hospitals affected with the virus, same figure up 28 on the same time yesterday and of these, 125 patients are being treated in various hospital ICUs, an increase of a further 4 in number, on yesterday’s reported figures.
In Northern Ireland a further 1,406 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed today, down from 1,846 on yesterday’s figures.
Sadly, 7 further Covid-19-related deaths have also been confirmed in Northern Ireland today; bringing the total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic is 2,840.
Here in the Irish Republic, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has once again issued a fresh appeal to the Irish public to take the necessary actions to help reduce the level of transmission in the country.
He has repeatedly urged the public to take the following five actions: –
- If you have symptoms of a cold or flu, isolate immediately and get a PCR test, not an Antigen test
- Strictly, prioritise who you need to meet.
- Meet others outdoors and open windows when indoors
- Wear a mask.
- Use the right test and understand what the test result means.
He also reiterated that people with symptoms should not rely on Antigen tests, but instead should immediately book a ‘polymerase chain reaction‘ (PCR) test, before immediately isolating.
How do you reserve a PCR test for Covid-19 Virus?
We watched with great amusement “The Week In Politics” programme (RTE 1) this afternoon, as opposition politicians anxious for power, continuing to attempt to sound intelligent, showing themselves more interested in criticising current government pandemic efforts, rather than attempting to find solutions to our serious pandemic woes; while also misleading the public.
Getting a PCR test couldn’t be easier. You can get a free PCR test in two ways: –
1. Ring your GP and get them to refer you for a Covid test.
OR
2. Refer yourself through the dedicated HSE website, [SEE LINK HERE].
To book your own PCR test online, simply follow the above stated link; select your county; preferred test location and time; enter your name, date of birth, telephone number, and a six digit code will be sent to your phone to verify that you entered the correct telephone number.
Here, in Co. Tipperary, there are two test centres, one in Nenagh and one in Clonmel. Both test centres are drive-through, so you don’t even have to get out of your car and thus remain, for the most part, in your own safety bubble.
On arrival, you’ll be asked to confirm your details and then a tester will quickly swab your throat and the inside of your nose. The whole experience lasts only a couple of minutes and for the benefit of whinging, Sinn Féin’s Ms Louise O’ Reilly, (Minister for Nothing), in Dublin Fingal, you even get a free box of 50 disposable masks.
Testers are patient and friendly and happy to answer any questions you may have. You’ll get your results in 24-48 hours via a text message to your personal phone and you’ll have peace of mind that you have had an accurate test result.
Depending on your circumstances you may need a second PCR test to confirm you are not infected with Covid-19.
For information on what to do while you are awaiting a PCR test result, it’s worth consulting your GP and the latest HSE HPSC quick isolation guides.
For children and adults aged 13 years and over, – CLICK HERE.
For children aged 13 years and under, – CLICK HERE.
Continue to listen to science – Not to Teachtaí Dála who are unqualified, nest feathering members of the Labour Party, Sinn Féin, Independent & other minor opposition parties.
Dunnes Stores, latter who have one of their popular retail outlet here in Thurles, have recalled a baby sleeping bag over fears it could be a suffocation risk.
Parents are been warned to stop using “The Unicorn Sleep & Grow Baby Sleep Bag” 2.5 Tog, serial number 5099011588787, and return same immediately, for a full refund of retail cost.
Included in this recall are approximately 4,500 sleeping bags, sold between August 2020 and May 2021.
We understand the opening in the neck of this Sleep Bag product, could pose a suffocation risk to small children.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) have warned that customers stop using this product with immediate effect, and return same to their local Dunnes Stores outlet.
Consumers are also invited to contact Dunnes Stores customer service with any further queries, at customerservice@dunnesstores.com. Tel No: (01)902 0309.
The Department of Health has confirmed 5,959 new cases of Covid-19 over the past 24 hours here in the republic Of Ireland.
There remain 640 patients in our hospitals with the virus, down a mere 3 on the same figures reported yesterday, and of these, 121 people are being treated in intensive care units around the country, up 3 additional cases on yesterdays reported numbers.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has stated that the current case level is unsustainable, while Dr Ronan Glynn has cautioned that the next few weeks will be difficult for everybody.
An Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin has called on people to use their common sense when it came to socialising, however unfortunately ‘sense’ is not all that ‘common’ it seems here in Thurles as shop keepers report that they find themselves asking individuals to “wear a mask of leave”. The usual reply is “I don’t need to wear a mask, but if you insist I will” before a mask is produced. Mr Micheál Martin has also previously warned that “personal responsibility” would be a key factor in dealing with Covid over the months to come.
Speaking recently on CNN News an Tánaiste Mr Leo Varadkar confirmed that 5% of the population remains unvaccinated. He said that our current situation is difficult, and as as a nation Ireland is crestfallen and heartbroken to find itself back into this increasing pandemic situation. He added that the 5% who are not vaccinated are causing a lot of the trouble, given that about half of people in ICU are identified as not fully vaccinated.
Sadly, of 476 patients accepted into intensive care between late June and November 2021, some 95 of these patients still remain in intensive care beds.
As of yesterday, the total number of booster immunisations within the Republic stood at 516,820, with the figure broken down as 452,999 booster doses for the general population and 63,821 extra doses for the immunocompromised.
Severe strains placed on our public health system will see a significant reduction in planned surgeries at many larger hospitals with immediate effect. To this end, the HSE are asking larger hospitals to identify how many additional surge capacity ICU beds could be created over the coming weeks.
In Northern Ireland, there are a further 1,846 positive cases confirmed in northern hospitals, with sadly 6 further deaths reported over the last 24 hours.
People need to prepare for a number of different eventualities, as it is almost impossible to pinpoint exactly how bad the Covid-19 situation will get, in the weeks ahead.
As frequently stated, a PCR test is the most accurate way to test for Covid-19.
Newstalk presenter, Mr Pat Kenny took a proper verbal ‘walloping’ this morning, when he decided to engage in a heated radio debate with one of Ireland’s leading and knowledgeable doctors, over the slow use of Antigen Tests here in Ireland.
Associate Professor of General Practice at UCD, Dr Ray Walley, when being interviewed highlighted the dangers of people using antigen tests instead of PCR tests, but Mr Kenny, displaying his misconceived medical knowledge, set about bemoaning the lack of Antigen Test usage in Ireland.
Here on local radio Tipp FM, (Latter the pulpit for exaggerating, bone idle, Tipperary politicians) was interviewing ‘know-it-all AK47’, (latter lesser known as Deputy Alan Kelly, leader of a tiny annihilated Labour Party), who like Mr Pat Kenny was also busy holding up to ridicule the (and let’s be honest) trojan work being currently undertaken and being accomplished to date, by our present coalition government, with regards to managing a country beset by a killer pandemic.
Back on Newstalk, Professor Walley pointed out that antigen tests do have a role to play in certain controlled environments, but also argued that a problem exists when the general public use them, instead of visiting a PCR test centre or their GP, when they are displaying possible symptoms.
In response, a badly researched Mr Pat Kenny stated that he was amused by the idea of blaming antigen tests and then asked why if they have been used so extensively and successfully in other countries; such as Denmark and Germany, that they cannot work here in Ireland?
Mr Kenny stated that he has been talking on his programme for a year about how to use antigen tests and in what circumstances they are appropriate and they have been rubbished by Professor Nolan, and by Dr Tony Holohan, the latter turning his face against them utterly. Many in the GP area were not enthusiastic about them either and they have their place. But there has been a lack of information coming from the medical establishment as to exactly what that place is. The public are depending on people like him to give them information and that was not acceptable, Mr Kenny argued.
Dr Walley said the World Health Organisations (WHO) advice has always been to “emphasis, isolate, test and contact” and this advice is based on the PCR system which he called a substantially more accurate test.
He stated that the difficulty is that these are complex messages and the public have not been able to take that in.
When you have gotten a sick, stressed patient they will grab at anything to help themselves and that is 100% understandable. Where the antigen tests have a specific utility is where the State is about to introduce them; in high prevalence areas such as in school settings. Dr Walley added that even if a person returns a negative PCR test in symptomatic cases, they must still isolate for two days, whether they are vaccinated or not.
The Dublin-based GP, who is also Vice President of the Standing Committee of European Doctors, explained that, many of those countries which have excellent healthcare systems and that used antigen tests, are now going into lock-down. He stated, “We have Holland which closed a major hospital three weeks ago, because basically they ran out of ICU facilities and they have used antigen tests. You have France which has used antigen tests whereby they’re extending the use of digital certs for shops and other things,” he went on to explain.
He argued Ireland must now focus on introducing what he called ‘more mitigation measures’ such as reviewing why masks aren’t worn by children aged six years and older.
A badly bruised Mr Kenny continued to argue that public health officials were too slow in advising the Irish public to wear masks early on and called into question the errancy of some of the country’s leading doctors.
Professor Walley stated that the nature of medicine and science means things change over time, as a greater understanding of a particular issue continues to developed.
Continue to listen to science.
The Department of Health has confirmed 3,138 new cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, here in the Republic of Ireland.
There were 643 people in hospital with Covid-19, and of these 118 people are being treated in ICUs.
Canada has now authorised the use of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged between five to 11, thus paving the way for the inoculation of primary children across the country.
Infectious Disease Consultant Professor Sam McConkey has stated that there is an epidemic of the unvaccinated and a large epidemic in the under 12 year olds, who haven’t been offered the vaccine.
Meanwhile, Israel will begin vaccinating children aged 5 to 11 against Covid-19 from Tuesday, Prime Minister Mr Naftali Bennett has stated. Israeli data has shown that administering Pfizer/BioNTech booster shots has widely slowed virus transmission.
The American Food and Drug Administration has authorised booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines for all adults just six months after individuals have been fully vaccinated with the shots from either Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. Nearly 60% of adult Americans or some 195.6 million people are considered fully vaccinated.
In a statement, Dr Holohan has warned that people with symptoms must stay at home, self-isolate and get a PCR test – not an antigen test.
In Northern Ireland a further 1,690 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed today, up from 1,681 yesterday.
There are 410 patients with Covid-19 in northern hospitals with 33 of these patients in hospital intensive care units.
Sadly, 7 Covid-19-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland also today.
Listen to Science – Not to unsupportive, unqualified Labour Party, Sinn Féin, Independent & other opposition Teachtaí Dála.
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