Rising Covid-19 hospital admissions
A key public health adviser to the Government has said the coronavirus situation in Ireland is “on a knife edge” amid rising infections and hospital admissions.
Meanwhile, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said that it was “a little less likely” that there would be a widespread return to the workplace on October 22nd.
The Cabinet is due to evaluate advice from public health officials next week to decide if remaining restrictions can be eased as planned.
British government considers EU protocol proposal
The EU has gone to the limits of what it can do to resolve the problems of post-Brexit trade in Northern Ireland, the bloc’s ambassador to the UK has said.
The European Commission has laid out measures to slash 80 per cent of regulatory checks and dramatically cut customs processes on the movement of goods, especially food and farming produce, between Northern Ireland and Britain.
The British government welcomed the announcement on Wednesday night, signalling that it wants “intensive talks” to follow the EU’s proposals.
In a statement, a UK government spokesman said of the EU proposals: “We are studying the detail and will of course look at them seriously and constructively.”
Gardaí seize firearm
Gardaí seized a firearm and arrested two men near an abandoned car on the M50 on Wednesday.
The men, aged 33 and 20, were found a short distance away from where the black Volkswagen Golf was left on the N2 underpass at the M50 junction, in the direction of the city centre.
Any road users on the N2 headed in the direction of the city centre between 11.45am and 12.15pm and who may have dashcam footage is also asked to contact to gardaí.
Laura Brennan portrait
A portrait of the late Laura Brennan has been unveiled at the Royal College of Physicians.
The HPV campaigner is the first non-doctor to be added to the collection.
Her willingness to share her own story has been credited with a vaccine uptake rate of 80 per cent.
