Health « Thurles Information

HSE Serve Closure Order On Tipperary Food Business.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that one of three ‘Closure Orders’ nationally was served on a food business in Co. Tipperary during the month of June last. Same was served following breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.

The Tipperary ‘Closure Order’ were issued by an environmental health officer employed in the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The food business in question referred to Saffron Indian Cuisine, with an address at Wesley Square, Main Street, Cashel, Co. Tipperary.

The Enforcement Report filed on June 10th 2021, stated:
Large amount of fresh rodent / rat droppings found in electrical room in the downstairs of the food business.

Food items and packaging stored on corridor outside electrical room. Outcome, closure order FSAI 1998.
Remedial action:
(1) Pest control company to be called and all areas of the premises pest proofed, disinfected, baited and thoroughly cleaned.
(2) All food items, stored in downstairs corridor, to be moved up to kitchen area.

Commenting, Dr. Pamela Byrne, (Chief Executive, FSAI), stated that all three ‘Closure Orders’ served last June highlight the importance of all food businesses operating to the highest standards of food safety as the country continues to face the public health pandemic.

To date, in the first six months of 2021, there have been 17 closure orders and 4 prohibition orders issued nationally here in the Irish Republic.

A ‘Closure Order’ is issued if in the opinion of the authorised officer, there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at/or in the food premises. Closures Orders can refer to the immediate closure of all or part of the food premises, or all or some of its activities. The Orders may be lifted when the premises have improved to the satisfaction of the authorised officer. Failure to comply with an Improvement Order may also result in the issuing of a Closure Order.

Closure orders remain listed in the enforcement reports for a period of three months from the date the order was lifted.

A Prohibition Order is issued if the activities (handling, processing, disposal, manufacturing, storage, distribution or selling food) involve or are likely to involve a serious risk to public health from a particular product, class, batch or item of food. The effect is to prohibit the sale of the product, either temporarily or permanently.

Prohibition orders remain listed in the enforcement reports for a period of one month from the date the order was lifted.

562 New Covid-19 Cases Confirmed In Irish Republic, Up 114 In 24 Hours.

**Romanian President, Klaus Werner Iohannis**.

The Department of Health has today reported 562 new cases of Covid-19, up 114 new cases in the past 24 hours.

Presently, there are 48 patients being treated in our hospitals as from 8:00am this morning, with 14 persons in intensive care units, latter a number unchanged since yesterday’s report.

The HSE School Immunisation Programme could see children, 12 years of age and upwards, vaccinated before school classrooms are populated again in early September. All going according to plan, same vaccinations could be rolled out from August, to further assist in curbing the spread of Covid-19 virus and it’s Delta variant here in our Republic.

Meanwhile, one member of the public received a positive Covid-19 antigen test while attending at yesterday’s pilot musical festival in the Royal Hospital at Kilmainham.

That person, however, then undertook a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, which later proved negative for the virus.

An Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin has held discussions with the Romanian President, Herr Klaus Werner Iohannis (Johannis) this morning, and we understand that it has been agreed in principle to allow Ireland to purchase one million Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, with same expected to arrive here at an early time.

Please continue to behave responsibly in order to protect each other.

908 Covid-19 Cases Confirmed On Whole Island of Ireland Today.

Cases of Covid-19, numbering in total 908, have been confirmed on the whole island of Ireland today Saturday, with a further 448 cases confirmed in the Republic and 460 cases confirmed in Northern Ireland.

**Confirmed number of Covid cases in Tipperary in the 14 days to June 28th last**.

Here in the Republic, there are 42 people currently hospitalised and an unchanged 14 persons remaining in intensive care units (ICU).

Mr Paul Reid (HSE Chief Executive) has confirmed that almost 4.3 million vaccines have now been administered here to date, as Ireland prepares for another surge in coronavirus cases, brought about due to virus variant Delta.
Some 48% of adults, or 1.8 million people, have now received two doses of the vaccine, while another 68%, or 2.56 million, have had their first dose.
Mr Reid has warned that the country should plan for the Delta variant with both ‘concern’ and ‘a level of confidence’, as our vaccination programme continues to speed-up. The Delta variant now accounts for 75% of Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland, and possibly as much as 70% of new cases here in the Republic.

As Thurles.Info stated yesterday, 750 pharmacies can begin administering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to people in the 18-34 age group who have registered; with the AstraZeneca jab, following on from July 12th next.

We are aware today that the Irish Government has contacted all EU member states, offering to buy spare vaccine doses, with an agreement already in place to see Ireland buy one million mRNA vaccine doses from Romania.

HSE Cyberattack

The majority of the HSE’s servers have now been decrypted, following the chaos caused by the recent Russian ransomware cyberattack, same likely to cost the health service half a billion euro.

While the majority of servers have now been decrypted, it will still take some time before the HSE’s functionality is fully complete.

Meanwhile, Some 79% of its computer devices, are now operating as normal.

Persons Aged 18 To 35 years To Receive Covid Vaccine From Monday.

Persons aged between 18 and 35 years are to be offered Covid vaccine, through their pharmacies, from next week.

Irish Fianna Fáil politician and Minister for Health Mr Stephen Donnelly has confirmed that Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine will be made available to people under 35 years, through pharmacies, with effect from July 5th next.

Same age group will be able to avail of mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna through the vaccination programme portal, as well as the AstraZeneca jab.

With the vaccines now available through pharmacies, this development of events will mean that persons will be vaccinated one to two months earlier than had been previously anticipated.

There are 750 pharmacies who will participate in this vaccination programme with 40,000 doses of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine already in stock.

Some 210,000 Janssen doses are due for delivery in July followed by more in August, while 100,000 AstraZeneca doses are also expected to arrive this month.

However, the speeding up of the Covid-19 vaccination programme next week is not expected to alter what the country will be dealing with in July and August next, with up to 900 new cases per day, according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn.

448 New Additional Virus Cases Reported In Irish Republic.

While appallingly, misguided, Tipperary TD, Mr Mattie McGrath, believes that all Dáil Éireann TDs have acquired degrees in Medicine and Science in the past 16 months; he now, laughingly demands that, quote, “Government need to take the reins on the easing of restrictions and stop giving NPHET (National Public Health Emergency Team) full control”.

Our other equally misguided, elected Tipperary TDs, [Namely Mr Alan Kelly, Mr Jackie Cahill and Mr Michael Lowry], continue to waste Dáil time in their attempts to get pubs and restaurants open. These efforts come despite qualified scientific advice to the contrary, while same TDs attempt to keep their bone idleness in the spotlight, by publishing condolences on RIP.ie.

How many more Irish citizens must lose their lives as a direct result of misinformation bandied about by those anxious to hear the sound of their own unqualified and ill-informed voices?
Truth is, none of these TDs care a ‘tinker’s curse’ about the 5,000, much loved, family members who sadly lost their lives, following Covid-19 virus diagnosis; their deaths sadly, due to pressure being put on acting Government Ministers, by those whose only claim to fame are overpaid TDs in opposition.

We note they always put ‘TD’ after their names on RIP, in the hope that regardless of their current idleness and time wasting in Dáil Éireann, they may still be identified, come the next General Election.

Meanwhile, as Tipperary politicians continue to fail in their responsibilities to Co. Tipperary communities, the Department of Health this evening has confirmed there have been 448 new additional virus cases reported in the Irish Republic. (Same case numbers are subject to future data validation, because of the Russian Cyber-attack on the HSE’s notifying system.)

Sadly, there have been 2 further deaths within the past 24 hours, with the number of people who have died, following a diagnosis of Covid-19, now standing at some 5,000 Irish residents.

The number of persons in ICU currently stands at 14, unchanged since yesterday.

Deputy Chief Medical officer Dr. Ronan Glynn, has raised grave concerns regarding Covid-19 numbers in Dublin and the very significant increase in our neighbouring county of Waterford, latter with 180 and 200 cases to date in the town of Dungarvan.

Professor Philip Nolan has stated that the Covid-19 virus is growing at a rate of 2% per day.

The total worldwide number of virus cases identified up to 6.00pm this evening, now stands at well over 182.36 million confirmed cases, with global deaths at almost 3.95 million and rising.

Please do continue to behave responsibly in order to protect each other.