Coronavirus: No New Covid-19 Deaths

Latest news updates on Monday 25th May.

Figures:

There's been no new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the midlands in the last 24 hours, leaving the total at 1,397.

It's the fourth day in a row without a new case in Laois, the total there remains at 256. 

Westmeath remains the midlands county with the highest number of cases, 663. 

While Offaly is also unchanged, 478 people have been diagnosed with the illness there. 

No new Covid-19 deaths have been reported today.

It's the first time since mid-March.

59 new cases of the virus have been confirmed.

It means the death toll from the virus remains at 1,606 while the total number of cases is 24,698.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan says no new deaths is part of a trend that has been developing:

There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today.

The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland is 1,606*.

As of 11am Monday 25 May the HPSC has been notified of 59 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 24,698 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Saturday 23 May (24,593 cases), reveals:

·        57% are female and 43% are male

·        the median age of confirmed cases is 48 years

·        3,225 cases (13%) have been hospitalised

·        Of those hospitalised, 394 cases have been admitted to ICU

·        7,842 cases are associated with healthcare workers

·        Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,876 (48% of all cases) followed by Cork with 1,438 cases (6%) and then Kildare with 1,390 cases (6%)

·        Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 59%, close contact accounts for 38%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

Litter survey:

The DCU Water Institute is this week asking people to document and map litter found in waterways 5 kilometres from their home.

It's on the back of reports of increases in dumping since the coronavirus pandemic began.

People are being asked to take a photo and complete a survey of fly-tipping at local ponds, lakes and rivers to allow for focused and effective clean-ups.

Restrictions "don't make sense":

A leading economist says some elements of the government's roadmap of easing Covid-19 restrictions are peculiar and make no sense at all. 

Professor of Economics at DCU, Edgar Morgenroth says some of the restrictions impose more costs on the economy and society, than they do benefits:

Cities:

Workers who live in the Dublin area and in cities across the country are more able to stick to social distancing and remote working.

This is because urban areas are more affluent, have better broadband and have a more educated workforce.
 
The UCC report shows some of the jobs that have the best remote working potential include teaching and and the media.

University College Cork business school director, Dr Frank Crowley tells us which careers are less able to to do social distancing:

Europe:

Cafes and bars are expected to partially re-open in parts of Spain today.

People are also going to be able to start sunbathing on beaches again.

Meanwhile, France is relaxing its border restrictions for visitors from most European countries. 

Anyone arriving from Spain and the UK will have to go into quarantine, though.

Brazil:

US president Donald Trump is banning foreign nationals from travelling to America if they've been to Brazil in the past two weeks. 

The country recently became the world's second major hotspot for Covid-19 cases.

Brazil has recorded 363,000 cases, while nearly 23,000 people have died of the virus. 

Climate change:

Sir David Attenborough says the coronavirus pandemic has swept the problem of climate change from newspapers' front pages.

The broadcaster and naturalist says the outbreak has made the issue feel as if it's in the distant future.

Speaking on the So Hot Right Now podcast, he praised the 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg for galvanising young people - saying she's "extremely well informed".

Dominic Cummings:

The British Prime Minister is being accused of risking the Government's efforts to combat coronavirus after defending his senior aide. 

A growing number of Tory MPs want Dominic Cummings to be sacked, after it emerged he travelled to Durham from London during the lockdown.

Scientists who advised the British government during the pandemic say Boris Johnson trashed their guidance and that building trust 
with the public to follow the rules to control Covid-19 has been damaged.

But the Prime Minister is insisting that he acted 'responsibly and legally':

The Labour leader says he would have sacked Dominic Cummings if he was Prime Minister.

Sir Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson's decision to keep him on is an "insult" to the "sacrifices" everyone has made:

8 of last 9 days the number of new #Covid19 cases has been below 100. Today’s new cases = 57. This progress is thanks to YOU & your family. We now need to maintain it & work to carefully find ways of living alongside the virus by following our plan. Stay safe. We will get there

— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) May 24, 2020

Hairdressers:

The Irish Hairdressers Federation wants hairdressers to be able come back to work earlier than planned.

It's recommending the Government open salons on June 29th, instead of phase four when they're due to open on July 20th.

The organisation represents over 400 salon owners across the country, which employ over 5,00 stylists.

Irish Hairdressers Federation Incoming President, Danielle Kennedy says the sector's ready to open more quickly:

Restrictions:

The government will consider accelerating the lifting of restrictions if the number of new cases continues to decline. 

Some aspects of phase 4 on July 20th could be brought forward to phase 3 on June 29th. 

The Irish Times' report comes after another four people with coronavirus died in the Republic, bringing the death toll to 1,608.

57 new cases have been confirmed and the total number of positive tests has reached 24,639.

There are now 1,397 confirmed cases in the midlands, after a further three people in Offaly and two people in Westmeath contracted the virus.

UCC professor Gerry Kileen says the current approach to flatten the curve before the virus is eliminated isn't the way forward:

Local figures:

Four more people with coronavirus have died, one of the lowest figures, after 13 covid-19 related deaths yesterday.

The National Public Health Emergency Team says there are 57 new confirmed cases.

A further two people have contracted the illness in Westmeath. There are now 663 with the illness in the county.

Laois has no new cases and has 256 people diagnosed with the virus. 

Offaly has three new cases bringing its total to 478.

The death toll has reached 1,608 and the total number of people infected with the virus is 24,639.

Data as of midnight on Friday, shows 7,819 cases are associated with healthcare workers.

Community transmission accounts for 59 per cent of cases, close contact makes up 38 per cent and travel abroad accounts for 3 per cent.