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Follow the latest coronavirus news in Ireland and around the world on the Independent.ie live blog.
09.36 10/05/2020
Pandemic brings outbreaks of bullying and ostracism in Japan
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A woman with a face mask cleans the menus of a restaurant in Tokyo (Eugene Hoshiko / AP)
AP / PA imaging
The coronavirus in Japan has brought not only an epidemic of infections, but also an avalanche of intimidation and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers.
A government campaign to raise awareness appears to be helping, at least for medical workers.
But it has made only limited progress in countering bullying and avoidance that can discourage people from seeking evidence and care, and hinder the battle against the pandemic.
In addition to fear of infection, experts say the prejudice against those who are indirectly associated with the disease also comes from deep-seated ideas about purity and cleanliness in a culture that rejects anything that is considered strange, impure, or problematic.
09/26/05 05/2020
ASTI confirms that it will participate in the calculated qualification process for Leaving Cert
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Problems: ASTI President Deirdre McDonald
Education editor Katherine Donnelly reports
The high school teachers union, ASTI, has confirmed that it will participate in the calculated grading process for the Leaving Cert, but says that students must receive full grades for canceled oral and practical exams.
The 100pc issue for orals and practices is among a number of “major concerns” that the union says it wants to address “as a matter of urgency.”
ASTI issued its verdict on the calculated grading process after a meeting of its Standing Committee that lasted approximately 12 hours, over two nights.
Previously, the other second-tier teachers union, TUI, announced that it would support the calculated grading system, but said it was seeking clarification on a number of issues.
09.02 10/05/2020
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force are quarantined
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Dr. Deborah Birx, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, listens as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, speaks during a coronavirus response meeting (Evan Vucci / AP)
Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, were quarantined after contacting someone who tested positive for Covid-19.
Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the working group, has become known nationally for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the coronavirus.
Dr. Fauci’s institute said it has tested negative for Covid-19 and will continue to do so regularly.
He added that he is considered “relatively low risk” depending on the degree of his exposure, and that he would be “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk of personal contacts while continuing to perform his duties.
LOOK: Companies that do not comply with Covid-19 security measures will be closed
Business Minister Heather Humphreys said Health and Safety Authority inspectors will be able to shut down non-compliant workplaces. She was speaking at the launch of the Government’s Return to Work security protocol for workplaces to be reopened once the closure is lifted.
They include regulations for social distancing, hand hygiene, first aid, and mental health support for returning workers.
08.10 05/10/2020
‘Covid has cost me millions but I can’t complain’
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PEACE OF MIND: John McColgan and his wife Moya stay in their cabin overlooking the Baily Lighthouse in Howth. Photo: Gerry Mooney
The Aer Lingus flight from JFK at 9pm on March 13 to Dublin was not a happy one for John McColgan. On the trip home he was consumed with “the best way to get out of this,” he says.
The day before had not started too badly, even though the number of Covid-19 cases in New York was increasing all the time.
He had lunch in Manhattan with his friend, actor Gabriel Byrne.
That night, John went as usual to Radio City Music Hall on Sixth Avenue to oversee Riverdance, the global phenomenon he created with his wife Moya Doherty and Bill Whelan 25 years ago. During the show that night, the big businessman received bad news from promoter Jim Glancey. It would be Riverdance’s last performance in the foreseeable future.
Top officials cast doubt on plans to reopen schools
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Seán Ó Foghlú said the report was a working document. Photo: Tom Burke
The highest-ranking Education Department official has raised big questions about whether schools can reopen in September, the Sunday Independent can reveal.
Secretary General Sean O Foghlu told opposition TDs during a conference call on Friday that there would be significant accommodation challenges in having to operate smaller classes to meet public health guidelines in schools.
Three people on the call said that Mr. O Foghlu was not optimistic about the reopening of the schools in September, as foreseen in the Government’s road map. One suggested that his comments raised the possibility of installing precast in schools across the country to ensure socially distanced classrooms.
The department said decisions about reopening schools would be based on public health counseling, the return-to-work protocol released yesterday and experiences from other countries.
Reality Bites: Watchdog Warns of Tax Increases and Pension Age as Recession Begins
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Business Minister Heather Humphreys (Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / PA)
The next government will have to consider tax increases and spending cuts to achieve an economic recovery, the state budget regulator warned.
With unemployment close to 30% and the cost of state emergency measures now over € 13 billion and on the rise, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Greens are being told this weekend to reconsider the proposal “very risky “of maintaining the pension age at 66, as well as discussing increases in property and inheritance taxes in the program for government talks.
The dire warnings came from the chairman of the Irish Tax Advisory Council, Sebastian Barnes, who said the state is now facing the “most dramatic” recession in its history. His comments came yesterday when it emerged that the highest-ranking official in the Department of Education has raised serious questions about the possibility of reopening schools in September.
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