Author Archives: Bodger

A Rabbi gets vaccinated in Tel Aviv, Israel last year

Last night/this morning.

Via Washington Post:

In what it’s calling a global first, Israel’s Health Ministry announced that it will offer a fourth coronavirus vaccine shot to citizens 60 and older and other at-risk groups as concerns about the omicron variant proliferate.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said he ordered the government to immediately prepare for distributing fourth doses.

“As we did with the booster in the delta surge, we intend to be active and groundbreaking, and do everything to win,” he tweeted. “The world will follow us.”

Israel says it will become first nation to offer fourth coronavirus vaccine dose: ‘The world will follow us’ (Washington Post)

AP

Meanwhile….

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has said that a fourth vaccination will be necessary in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic due to the more contagious Omicron variant.

He said that Germany has ordered 80 million doses of a vaccine made by Biontech specifically targeting Omicron and should arrive in April or May.

Germany has also ordered four million doses of the newly approved vaccine Novavax – seen as more acceptable to vaccine sceptics – and 11 million doses of the new Valneva shot, which is waiting for marketing authorisation, Mr Lauterbach said.

Fourth Covid-19 jab needed – German health minister (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Chief Medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said there is “a substantial job to do” to issue a third vaccine to those over 40 who are at risk of severe infection and he asked them to come forward.

He said that “vaccines really work, particularly when boosted, in preventing infection from becoming severe infection and we expect that to be the case with Omicron”.

“Don’t put off the opportunity to be vaccinated if it comes your way,” he added.

Rapid rise in Covid cases in 16-34 age group – Holohan (RTE)

‘sup?

Now, that‘s fresh turkey.

Cheer up.

This morning.

Arrivals at Dublin Airport.

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Dr Tony Holohan said there is “a substantial job to do” to issue a third vaccine to those over 40 who are at risk of severe infection and he asked them to come forward.

He said that “vaccines really work, particularly when boosted, in preventing infection from becoming severe infection and we expect that to be the case with Omicron”.

“Don’t put off the opportunity to be vaccinated if it comes your way,” he added.

Rapid rise in Covid cases in 16-34 age group – Holohan (RTE)

Portobello Harbour last Friday

This morning.

Via Irish Times Letters:

Last Friday a hoarding was erected around the public space known as Portobello Plaza in Dublin 8 to facilitate construction of a hotel on the adjacent site. It is due to remain in place for up to two years. The hoarding encloses approximately 75 per cent of the total area of the plaza, leaving an unattractive and unusable residue of public space.

The Rathmines Initiative strongly opposes the decision by Dublin City Council to permit the removal of public space for the benefit of private commercial interests for such an extended period.

The Rathmines Initiative has previously made representations to local TDs and Dublin City councillors about the dearth of publicly accessible open space in the Rathmines area.

It is incomprehensible that Dublin City Council should now agree to the removal of what little public space is available. This is especially difficult to comprehend in the midst of a pandemic with continued restrictions on indoor gatherings. It is a sorry reflection on the priorities of the Dublin City Council which increasingly neglects the interests of the citizens it ought to be serving.

There are approximately 23,000 people living within a 1km radius of Portobello Harbour and many of these residents are living in accommodation with limited private outdoor space. The removal of public space impacts most severely on those living in lower standards of accommodation, and compounds existing inequalities in the city.

The Rathmines Initiative calls on Dublin City Council to remove the hoarding and reopen the space to the public without delay

Ciarán Ferrie,

On behalf of the Rathmines Initiative,

Dublin 6.

Irish Times Letters

This morning.

Via Irish Times:

Barely half of the positive results from antigen tests carried out on close contacts of Covid-19 cases have been confirmed by further PCR testing.

An average of almost 4,000 antigen tests have been carried out on close contacts who are fully vaccinated and have no symptoms since the measure was introduced at the end of October.

In the first month, 31,850 antigen test results were reported by close contacts – 21,579 “not detected” or negative results, and 10,271 “detected” or positive, according to data presented at a National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) meeting this month.

0Just 5,741, or 54 per cent, of these positive antigen test results were confirmed positive with subsequent PCR testing.

Anyone?

Barely half of positive antigen test results confirmed by PCR testing (RTE)

Rollingnews

‘sup?

John Muldoon writes:

Gidget (left) and Kenny would be raging if they didn’t make it into Broadsheet again this year. Gidget first appeared in 2015 but missed a year or two (dogs aren’t great with calendars). Anyway, they still live in the Boston area and would love to be famous. However, Broadsheet will have to do for now…

Arf.

My pet at Xmas to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie marked ‘My Pet At Xmas’.