Thurles Information

The Department of Health has been notified of 21,302 additional cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours here within the Irish Republic.

There are 884 people in hospital with the Covid-19 virus, an increase of 80 on yesterday, while 90 of these patients are in ICU, across the country down 3 on yesterday.

According to Health Service Executive CEO Mr Paul Reid, there is no indication that the Irish Republic has reached the peak of the current wave of Covid-19 cases.

The Health Products Regulatory Agency (HPRA) has received a number of reports from medical professionals and members of the public over the performance of the Genrui antigen test. The stated brand is one of the cheapest and most popular rapid antigen test brands; sold in supermarkets such as Dunnes Stores and Lidl.
Results indicated as positive when using the Genrui test are not being confirmed, when those who believed they were affected have gone for a PCR test.
Medical practitioners have confirmed that there appear to be a large proportion of ‘false positives’ with these named test kits and have warned that this could have major implications, especially now that antigen kits have taken on a greater role in the testing process here in the Republic.

Meanwhile, following a meeting between education Minister Norma Foley, public health representatives, the HSE and education stakeholders it has been accepted that a full reopening of schools will go ahead on Thursday next.

However, a World Health Organization official has stated that evidence is now emerging that the Omicron coronavirus variant is affecting the upper respiratory tract, thus causing milder symptoms than previous variants.

The HSE has confirmed that so far, around 50,300 children aged 5-11 years are now registered for Covid-19 vaccination. Just over 4,000 doses have been administered to date, amongst those children identified as a priority by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee.

Here in Co. Tipperary, two post Offices, in the villages of Cappawhite & Kilsheelan remain closed, caused by staff shortages, caused by the pandemic

In Northern Ireland including today, the number of positive Covid-19 cases confirmed over the past seven days was 50,627.
Today also there were 348 patients with Covid-19 in hospitals, with 31 infected patients in northern hospital intensive care units.

Today Northern Ireland’s Department of Health has also, sadly, reported 15 more Covid-19-related deaths, over the past 4 days, bringing their total death number, since the start of the pandemic, to 2,995.

The USA recorded more than one million Covid-19 cases yesterday, according to data published by Johns Hopkins University, as the Omicron variant there also continues to spread rapidly in communities.

The Department of Health in our Irish Republic, have reported a further 17,071 confirmed cases of Covid-19, within the past 24 hours.

Latest figures available show there are 717 people with the virus in our Republic’s hospitals, up 61 on yesterday and of these, 87 patients are in ICUs around the country; latter an increase of 2 based on yesterday’s reported figures.

In relation to education, the Green Party leader; Minister for the Environment Mr Eamon Ryan, has stated that he expects that schools, crèches and colleges will reopen as scheduled, despite any rise in cases of Covid-19 within communities. His statement comes as hundreds of thousands of primary and secondary school students are due to return to their classrooms on Thursday next, January 6th.

The number of deaths in the Irish Republic, up to December 29th 2021 last and since the pandemic began, stands sadly at 5,912.

While the Department of Health in Northern Ireland have not publicly updated its Covid-19 database again today; it is understood that the omicron variant has been spreading at an exceptional pace, displaying an even more rapid spread towards the end of 2021, with the infection rate standing at an estimated 1,619.8 per 100,00 of its population, in the seven days up until December 27th; and is now the highest rate within the UK.

While there has been a marginal increase in the number of deaths reported in South Africa, same country has now lifted overnight curfew rules, with officials stating that the country may have passed the peak of its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.

In Antarctica, a Belgian scientific research station is also dealing with an outbreak of Covid-19, despite workers being fully vaccinated and based in one of the world’s remotest regions. Since December 14th at least 16 of the 25 person work force at the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station have caught the virus.

On a worldwide basis, we are aware of 289,366,548 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with sadly 5,442,035 deaths caused by the virus, with at least a further 9,176,184,019 confirmed vaccine doses administered, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University. However, it is unlikely that figures from North Korea, China and Russia are accurately reported on.

Continue to cancel plans to celebrate until later, rather than celebrate now and grieve later.