Coronavirus | Business Post

Covid advisory group to be scaled back after pandemic emergency declared over

Group has only met once this year, with no further meetings scheduled

Covid-19 no longer a global health emergency - WHO

Stephen Donnelly and Chief Medical Officer welcome declaration that brings ‘symbolic end’ to pandemic

Group to replace Nphet ‘not being set up in response to rising cases’

Tony Holohan requested new group be established following Nphet’s final meeting last month

Pfizer Covid-19 antiviral pills to arrive in April

HSE has now signed contract for the drugs, which studies have shown are 100 per cent effective at preventing death in unvaccinated patients

‘Exit wave’ of Covid-19 puts hospitals under more pressure

While few patients are developing serious illness, persistently high case numbers are affecting the HSE’s ability to deliver non-Covid care

A million goodbyes: The terrible toll taken on America by Covid

The US’s death toll from the pandemic is about to surpass the symbolic one million mark, with casualty figures cleaving sharply among class and racial lines. And yet, even after two years, both sides of the country’s political divide remain at loggerheads over what to do next

FBD defends share dividend as policyholder claims still unpaid

The company, which has been dogged by controversy over its handling of business interruption claims from businesses affected by the pandemic, said it expected the saga to cost it €44 million net of reinsurance after discussions with its reinsurers

Comment: The route to global vaccine equity is not through the status quo

Open source technology stimulates rather than blocks innovation

Comment: The route to global vaccine equity is not through a waiver of IP rights

A Trips agreement waiver would lead to a drop in research and development for Covid-19-related products like vaccines and treatments

Health officials divided over ending use of Covid certs

Nphet meeting heard that focus should be on ‘long-standing deficits’ in the county’s health service exposed by the pandemic

Holohan signals end of Nphet as mask wearing set to be eased

The team met for the first time today since most Covid-19 restrictions were lifted almost four weeks ago

If Sinn Féin wants to govern this country, it has to be able to take criticism as well as give it

The party’s double standards regarding ‘champagne-gate’ versus its handling of Bobby Storey’s funeral are telling – and the implications worrying

Israeli expert says country’s Covid-19 spike should be a ‘warning sign’ to Ireland

Dr Nadav Davidovitch said it was important to speed up the vaccination campaign for children around the world

Decision to wind down Nphet rests with Minister — Holohan

The chief medical officer told an Oireachtas committee that Nphet is examining what level of public health surveillance is required over the coming months

Covid-19: Global public health risk still ‘very high’, Holohan to say

Chief medical officer will tell politicians the outlook is ‘broadly positive’ when it comes to the risks associated with the disease in Ireland

GP nurses angered by claims that they are not frontline workers

Nurses who work in general practice surgeries are not eligible for the €1,000 tax-free pandemic bonus and are ‘irate’ as Minister for Finance says they are not frontline health care workers

Too early to assess pandemic response: public health doctors

Make-up of expert group to assess Ireland’s response to Covid-19, is criticised for narrow focus and for lack of frontline workers and patient representatives

75% of children aged 5-11 yet to be registered for Covid vaccine

Less than 20% of young children have received a first dose of the vaccine, which has been available since early January

Government’s expert group on antigen testing stood down

The group met 20 times between last July and January to advance the widespread use of rapid testing

Dan O’Brien: A better work-life balance is a pandemic change that is here to stay

The government should resist its statist instincts and let workers and employers sort out the new normal in the workplace for themselves as research finds a majority do not want to go back to old office hours