Health « Thurles Information

Bathing Water Quality Continued To Improve In 2020.

Bathing water quality continued to improve in 2020 with 96% of bathing waters (142 of 148) meeting or exceeding the minimum required standard.
111 bathing waters were classified as excellent for 2020, up from 107 in 2019.
Bathing water quality at four beaches was classified as ‘Poor’, compared with five in 2019.
Pollution incidents, especially during heavy rainfall, can impact bathing water quality on a short-term and localised basis.
Swimmers should check the latest bathing water quality information at www.beaches.ie

**Urban domestic wastewater system allowed to run non-stop into the River Suir, on the south west bank, close to the ‘New Foot Bridge’ area, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.**
*Picture G.Willoughby*.

The EPA has today published the ‘Bathing Water in Ireland’ report for 2020, which sets out the quality of bathing water at our beaches. Overall, bathing water quality improved across the country in 2020. However, the report highlights that water quality can change quickly in the short term, especially during rainfall events which can wash pollution into our bathing waters. Swimmers should always check www.beaches.ie for the most up to date water quality information for their local bathing site.

Commenting on the report, EPA Director Dr. Eimear Cotter said: “The continued improvement in bathing water quality is welcome. It is also positive to see two new beaches being identified in 2020, and to see improvements at two beaches that had poor water quality previously. Good quality bathing waters are important now more than ever as more people enjoy our natural amenities, and particularly swimming. With many people now swimming outside the bathing season, the EPA is calling for additional water quality monitoring at beaches where there are large numbers of year-round swimmers, and that this information is made available to the public.”

The water quality at some beaches can be impacted when pollution, from wastewater and agriculture, gets washed in following heavy rainfall. Swimmers are encouraged to check www.beaches.ie for the most up to date water quality information. Local authorities and Irish Water must continue to address sources of water pollution which impact some of our beaches to ensure that public health is protected.

In summary the key findings of the Bathing Water in Ireland report for 2020 were:

96% of bathing waters (142 of 148) met or exceeded the minimum required standard. This is up from 95 per cent in 2019.
111 (75%) bathing waters were classified as ‘Excellent’, up from 107 in 2019
4 bathing waters were classified as ‘Poor’, down from 5 in 2019. Local Authority management plans have been put in place to address the sources of pollution.
The bathing waters classified as ‘Poor’ were:
Clifden Beach, Co. Galway
Lilliput – Lough Ennell, Co. Westmeath
Cúas Crom, Co. Kerry
Balbriggan – Front Strand Beach, Co. Dublin
Clifden Beach has been classified as ‘Poor’ for five years in a row and must now be declassified as a bathing water for 2021.
Galway Co. Co. and Fingal Co. Co. have taken actions to improve bathing water quality at two bathing waters that were ‘Poor’ in 2019:
Ballyloughane Beach, Co. Galway improved from ‘Poor’ to ‘Sufficient’
Portrane (the Brook) Beach, Co. Dublin improved from ‘Poor’ to ‘Good’
Two new bathing waters were identified in 2020 and will be classified for the first time following the 2021 season. They were Carrigaholt and Quilty, both in Co. Clare:
57 pollution incidents were reported to EPA during 2020. Incidents have the potential to cause a pollution risk and when they occur, swimming restrictions are applied at the beach until sampling shows the water quality is safe.
The most common cause of pollution incidents in 2020 was discharges from urban wastewater systems. Irish Water needs to make improvements in the operation and management of urban wastewater treatment plants and networks, where these impact on bathing waters.
Local authorities also put up 135 ‘Prior Warning’ notices at beaches in 2020, to warn swimmers that short-term pollution (lasting no more than a few days) may occur due to heavy rainfall. These warnings are removed when sampling shows the water quality is safe.

Throughout this summer water quality information and details of any incidents affecting bathing waters will be displayed on the www.beaches.ie website. The EPA reminds anyone using or swimming at beaches this year to follow the public health advice hse.ie/coronavirus/ and any local information in relation to the COVID 19 pandemic.

The ‘Bathing Waters in Ireland’ 2020 report, infographic and a map of the quality of Ireland’s Bathing water sites in 2020 are available on the EPA website, (all links to be updated).
Further information on bathing water and updates on monitoring results during the bathing water season (1st June to 15th September) is available at www.beaches.ie.

Covid-19 Update: Tue. 11th May 2021 – 9 Deaths – 379 New Cases

6 new cases of killer Covid-19 virus confirmed in Co. Tipperary in past 24 hours.

The Department of Health this evening has confirmed that there has been 9 further deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; leaving the overall death toll, here in the Republic of Ireland, remaining at 4,929.

There have however been 379 new additional virus cases reported here within the Irish Republic. This leaves the current total number of confirmed cases, since conception, at 253,567.

In Northern Ireland there have been 89 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 1 death reported in the past 24 hours.

Of the cases confirmed today in the Irish Republic; 171 are in Dublin, 27 in Donegal, 28 in Kildare, 24 in Limerick, 22 in Cork; with the remaining 107 cases located across 18 other counties.

Of the cases confirmed today, 77% of persons were under the age of 45 years.

Ms Maria Van Kerkhove of the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the coronavirus variant first identified in India last year is being classified as a variant of some global concern. Preliminary studies show that it can spreads more easily.
The B.1.617 variant is now the 4th variant to be designated as being of global concern and in the future will require close tracking and analysis.

There are 117 people with Covid-19 remaining in hospital today, and of that number 34 are in ICU’s, according to Ireland’s COVID-19 Data Hub.

There have been 168 Covid-19 cases confirmed in Co. Tipperary within the last 14 days and 6 new cases confirmed in the same area, within the last 24 hours. There have been 5,947 virus cases confirmed here in Co. Tipperary, since the pandemic began, same figure relevant up to and including May 9th, 2021.

Some 1,347,561 first doses of Covid-19 vaccines have now been administered here in Ireland up to May 5th, with 501,186 persons having received their second dose.

The total worldwide number of virus cases identified up to 5:00pm this evening, now stands at well over 159.07 million confirmed, with global deaths at well over 3.30 million.

Please Do Continue To Behave Responsibly.

MSD Pharma Company To Build New €140 Million Tipperary Facility.

Pharmaceutical company MSD Ireland, which is part of the US giant Merck, is planning to build a new €140 million manufacturing facility, [3,266sqm in size and 20.75m high] alongside their successful existing plant in Ballydine, Co. Tipperary.

Planning documents are understood to have been submitted to Tipperary County Council with the proposed scheme, same expected to create some 300 construction jobs over the life of the construction period, understood to take 18 months.

MSD, which employs some 2,700 people in the Irish Republic, said the proposed facility was needed to address a manufacturing need to produce small volume, highly effective drugs, to meet increasing product demands. An example of these types of medicines are those used for chemotherapy products.

The Ballydine site first opened in 1976 and currently employs some 500 highly skilled individuals. The site has API and Formulation facilities for the manufacture of commercial products and the development of new products.
They invested €75 million between 2014 and 2017, furthering their commitment to the manufacturing site with 20 of MSD’s pipeline products undertaken at this state-of-the-art research and commercialisation facility; exporting products to approximately 25 countries around the world for further processing.

Covid-19 Update: Mon. 10th May 2021 – No Deaths – 381 New Cases.

13 new cases of killer Covid-19 virus confirmed in Co. Tipperary in past 24 hours.

The Department of Health this evening has confirmed that there has been no further deaths caused by the Covid-19 pandemic; leaving the overall death toll, here in the Republic of Ireland, remaining at 4,921.

There have however been 381 new additional virus cases reported here within the Irish Republic. This leaves the current total number of confirmed cases, since conception, at 253,189.

In Northern Ireland there have been 76 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with no deaths reported in the past 24 hours.

Of the cases confirmed today in the Irish Republic; 188 are in Dublin, 39 in Donegal, 30 in Kildare, 13 in each of the counties of Tipperary, Limerick, Cork, and Westmeath; with the remaining 72 cases located across 15 other counties.

Of the cases confirmed today, 77% of persons were under the age of 45 years.

There are 124 people with Covid-19 remaining in hospital today, and of that number 31 are in ICU’s, according to Ireland’s COVID-19 Data Hub.

There have been 189 Covid-19 cases confirmed in Co. Tipperary within the last 14 days and 13 new cases confirmed in the same area, within the last 24 hours. There have been 5,935 virus cases confirmed here in Co. Tipperary, since the pandemic began, same figure relevant up to and including May 8th, 2021.

Some 1,327,821 first doses of Covid-19 vaccines have now been administered here in Ireland up to May 5th, with 499,789 persons having received their second dose.

The Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan has stated that no decision on the use of Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines for those under 50 years old will be taken until the National Immunisation Advisory Committee issues their advice.

The total worldwide number of virus cases identified up to 5:00pm this evening, now stands at well over 158.42 million confirmed, with global deaths at well over 3.29 million.

Please Do Continue To Behave Responsibly.

Coeliac Awareness Week May 9th To May 15th.

From yesterday May 9th to May 15th is Coeliac Awareness Week.
Every day this week the Coeliac Society of Ireland will host a number of free online events. This year the events focus on the psychological impact of living with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance. Webinars will explore gluten-free cooking, wellbeing, mental and physical health challenges, as well as advice on nutrition and sleep. To register for free and to view more details about the schedule of events click HERE.

What is Coeliac Disease?

Coeliac disease is a condition where a person is intolerant to the gluten protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. Gluten is therefore found in foods made from these ingredients, including breads, pasta, cakes and many processed foods.

Coeliac disease is an auto-immune disease which means that your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body. When a person with coeliac disease eats gluten, the lining of the small intestine is damaged which in turn stops the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

There is no cure for coeliac disease but a gluten free diet keeps the condition under control. If left undiagnosed however, the condition can result in osteoporosis, anaemia, infertility and some types of cancer.

Symptoms of coeliac disease can range from mild to severe and may include diarrhoea, bloating, abdominal pain, weight loss and malnutrition. It is not certain what causes coeliac disease but it is thought to be some combination of genetic and environmental factors.

It is believed that the condition effects 1 in every 100 people, with an estimated 50,000 people living with coeliac disease in Ireland and a further 400,000 living with gluten intolerance.

If you have any concerns about your health and coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, please contact your GP.