Antigen testing
People who engage in high-risk activities should consider taking an antigen test twice a week, the National Public Health Emergency Team has recommended.
In a letter to Government, the State’s public health team said that while it was not recommending any significant new restrictions, it could not rule them out in the future as the Covid-19 situation remains concerning and uncertain.
The Irish Times reports that as part of its recommendations, Nphet examined the use of antigen testing in society and said people who regularly engage in high-risk activities such as going to nightclubs should consider self-testing twice a week.
Russian paratroopers
Russia has sent paratroopers to Belarus in a show of support for its ally amid tensions over an influx of migrants at the border with Poland.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that as part of joint war games Russian troops will parachute from Il-76 transport planes in Belarus’s Grodno region, which borders Poland.
The Belarusian military said the exercise involving a battalion of Russian paratroopers was intended to test the readiness of the allies’ rapid response forces due to an “increase of military activities near the Belarusian border”.
Nphet advice
The State's public health advisers are to recommend that a wider return to working from home should be considered by the Government.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) met on Thursday afternoon, with a letter outlining their updated advice to be sent to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly.
Government sources told The Irish Examiner that they expect Nphet members to push for a return to working from home across the board.
They expect to be asked to strengthen public health messaging in the lead up to Christmas and to ask people to cut their social contacts.
Austin Currie funeral
The funeral of Austin Currie has been told he was a “true giant of civil rights”.
President Michael D Higgins, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Justice Minister Helen McEntee, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and a representative of Taoiseach Micheál Martin were among those who attended the service at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Allenwood, Co Kildare.
Mr Currie’s daughter Estelle said he was a hero to so many.
Teenager's death
A 14-year-old is the youngest person in the Republic to die as a result of Covid.
The teenager’s death with coronavirus was recorded last week between November 3rd and November 9th. The person was one of 25 people who died from Covid-19 in that week.
Previously, the youngest person to die in the State from Covid-19 was 17, according to the figures produced by the Health Surveillance Protection Centre (HSPC).
No details about the 14-year-old have been provided by the HSPC, according to The Irish Times. The teenager was one of six people under the age of 25 to have died in the State from Covid-19 during the pandemic to date.
HSE legal actions
The HSE was sued over 200 times in the space of three years in relation to needs assessments for children with disabilities.
Latest figures show over 3,600 assessments are overdue completion.
An 'assessment of need' allows a child to be diagnosed with a disability and then apply for the care they need.
Irish Ronaldo fan
It wasn't Cristiano Ronaldo's evening at the Aviva Stadium as he failed to break down a resolute Republic of Ireland defence last night, but he made a special memory for a young supporter afterwards.
Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, who made a late save from the Manchester United star in the 0-0 draw, requested a jersey swap but Ronaldo saved his shirt for a young girl who ran onto the pitch.
She looked delighted as she got a hug from her hero and his jersey before being led off the pitch by stewards.
