Eau.
Last night.
Paris, France.
Ultan Mashup writes:
8pm Pigalle last night. Loads of testing locations in Paris. 30 yo yos. Negative pour moi…
Earlier: Deny The Passenger
Meanwhile…
Germany 🇩🇪 looks like it still divided: The vaxxed and unvaxxed are separated with a fence in a supermarket. 😳 pic.twitter.com/Swrmyieqpq
— f👀kminati (@chi_un_lee) December 1, 2021
Good grief.
This afternoon.
Handball Alley, Croke Park, Dublin
One of two Covid-19 ‘pop-up’ test centres set up in Dublin due to concern over the rising number of cases in the capital, with the Acting Chief Medical Officer of the HSE Dr Ronan Glynn urging people in the city ‘to be cautious and limit their social interactions’.
This morning/afernoon
UCD O’Brien (cough) Centre for Science.
Paul Reid, CEO HSE (above) rejected claims that the test and trace system is falling apart and described such claims as ‘alarmist and unhelpful’.
Via RTÉ:
Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid said the 14-day incidence of Covid-19 is at 25.4 per 100,000 leaving Ireland the third highest in Europe for new cases.
He said there have been clusters in private households, workplaces and sporting events.
He said:
“We want people to come forward for testing and have demonstrated that the system is meeting demand, which it did last week.”
He also said that in some cases there were up to 50 close contacts of a confirmed case identified.
Assistant Professor at the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at TCD Tomás Ryan said earlier this week that Ireland’s test, trace and isolate system was never fast enough and is now falling apart.
This afternoon.
Newbridge, County Kildare.
Drive-in HSE rona testing centre.
Meanwhile…
The number of new infections reported yesterday was 66, down considerably on the 200 cases cited on Saturday.
A significant reduction in outbreaks and community transmission was recorded last night.
As of 8pm last night, there were 19 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital. 8 of these patients are in intensive care.
A further 136 people who are suspected of having the virus are also in hospital, with 7 of these patients in ICU.
Health officials to meet after sharp rise in virus cases (RTÉ)
From left: Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd; Testing centre at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2 in May
This morning.
People are afraid.
Let’s make them more afraid.
Via Independent.ie
More than 1,300 people have refused a Covid-19 test despite being at risk of the deadly disease after being in close contact with an infected person.
The startling figure showing 1,314 have snubbed the offer of a test was revealed by the HSE to the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response.
Dr Lorraine Doherty, HSE national clinical director for health protection, said they are concerned about people not turning up for tests.
She said: “It shows that the public are becoming disengaged with the idea of having a Covid-19 test if they are symptomatic or if they are a contact, because they understand the implications of having a test and that they would need to restrict their movements.”
…Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd said: “The gardaí may need to call to people’s doors if they refuse to come for a Covid-19 test.”
Good times.
Covid tests refused as people fear quarantine restrictions (Independent.ie)
Paul Reid, HSE CEO this morning
This morning.
O’Brien Centre for Science, UCD, Dublin 4.
Via Irish Times:
“We need to improve where we’ve been at,” he {Paul Reid, CEO HSE][ said, while defending progress made to date. “We have faced very significant backlogs which resulted in a very poor experience for many people,” he said, adding the HSE had been “rightly judged and held to account”.
…His comments come amid scrutiny of the State’s contact tracing and testing process, seen as a key element of relaxing restrictions on movement and other measures over the summer.
Experts have said current timelines are too slow relative to where they should be to help ensure the disease is kept under control as lockdown measures are relaxed.,,,
Coronavirus: HSE says new three-day target for testing and tracing to be introduced (Irish Times)
Meanwhile…
This day last year, I joined the HSE as CEO. I expected it would be tough but I never planned on a Pandemic. I said then, that I wanted to strengthen the public trust in the HSE. We have lots to do but I hope we have made some progress. Feeling priviliged. @HSELive #COVID19
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) May 14, 2020
That’ll learn him.
This morning.
The COVID-19 testing facility on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay on the Liffey in Dublin 2.,
Meanwhile…
During yesterday’s Dáil sitting, Social Democrat TD and co-leade Róisín Shortall (top) criticised the ‘Government’s delays in reaching the testing target of 100,000 per week’.
Ms Shorthall said,
“It has proven exceptionally difficult to get clear answers about the reasons for the delays in achieving the original test and trace strategy, either from Government or the health authorities.
We’ve had to ask questions three, four, five times to get anywhere close to a reasonable answer. This has especially been the case in relation to reagent.
While the public has played its part, increasingly it is being seen that the Government has not delivered on its side of the deal. I believe this is leading to a loss of confidence and growing frustration among many people.
The authorities need to level with the people, explain clearly what is happening, including the problems, and provide straight answers to questions.
Unfortunately, there has been obfuscation and spin about the entire test and trace strategy and regrettably, after several weeks of lockdown and sacrifice, the failure to implement the strategy will mean the lifting of the restrictions will be delayed further.
“Our recovery is entirely dependent on our ability to test and trace this virus, and unless we have a transparent, robust strategy as originally proposed, it will take longer for restrictions to be lifted.”
At the gates of Croke Park which is being used as a drive-thru Covid-19 testing centre
This morning.
Eoin English and Daniel O’Connell, in The Irish Examiner, reports:
Concerns have been raised as testing for Covid-19 two of the State’s largest testing facilities has ground to a halt, despite official claims that daily sampling is being ramped up.
…HSE staff at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork have taken just a handful of swab samples from people who have been referred for testing in recent days. The facility operates for just a few hours a day.
Limited activity was observed at Croke Park yesterday by the Irish Examiner.
Covid-19 testing grinds to a halt at Páirc Uí Chaoimh and Croke Park sites (The Irish Examiner)
Meanwhile…
Letterkenny yesterday 🤷🤷🤷 pic.twitter.com/vYdKc64gz1
— Bernard doherty (@BernardD66) April 10, 2020
Anyone?
Members of the Defence Forces and the HSE stand next to the LÉ Samuel Beckett along Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin 2 which has become a Covd-19 test centre
Fergal Bowers, of RTÉ, reports:
New rules have been introduced for Covid-19 testing, which means patients will need to meet revised criteria to qualify in future.
Patients will have to display two major symptoms – a fever and either a cough or shortness of breath – and fall into a priority group in order to be tested.
These are close contacts of a confirmed case, healthcare staff and vulnerable groups.
Those seeking Covid-19 test must display two major symptoms under new rules (RTÉ)
Meanwhile, last night on RTÉ’s Prime Time…
“We need to test as many people as we can” Health Minister Simon Harris discusses testing for Covid 19, and how the government plans to prioritise people who need to be tested.#RTEPT | #COVID19 | #coronavirus | @mcculld | @SimonHarrisTD pic.twitter.com/sS6QjVKca3
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) March 24, 2020
Earlier: ‘Persistant Cough’
“I Had Completely Convinced Myself That This Was Just A Chest Infection”
