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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said the EU had extended its contract with Pfizer/BioNTech with a view to purchasing an extra 300 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Ursula Von Ireland Eu European Union Coronavirus

People travelling to tests urged not to open window at checkpoints

People who are travelling to and from Covid-19 tests are being urged not to open their window if they are stopped at a garda checkpoint en route.

Ireland Coronavirus

Chinese city sealed off to stem virus outbreak

China has sealed off a large city near Beijing, cutting transport links and banning millions of residents from leaving, as authorities move to stem the country's largest Covid-19 outbreak in six months.

China city Wuhan city Beijing province Hebei city Shijiazhuang World Coronavirus

Autism charity CEO says parents shocked over school closure decision

Parents of children with special needs are said to devastated by the decision to keep schools closed for the rest of the month.

Ireland county Harris education Coronavirus

Non-essential construction to stop this evening due to Covid-19 restrictions

Non-essential construction is to cease this evening until at least the end of the month, as part of restrictions introduced on Wednesday to slow the spread of the third wave of Covid-19.

business Coronavirus

Negative Covid test requirement for travellers to England - but Ireland exempt

Travellers to England from international destinations will have to test negative for coronavirus before they can enter the country, the British government has announced.

Grant Shapps Britain Ireland Denmark South Africa UK England Coronavirus

Brisbane to go into lockdown as virus variant discovered

Australia's third-largest city headed into lockdown and borders are set to tighten nationwide after a cleaner at a quarantine hotel contracted the new variant of Covid-19.

Annastacia Palaszczuk Britain Australia World Coronavirus

NPHET 'gravely' concerned over rise in virus cases

The Chief Medical Officer has said the National Public Health Emergency Team is gravely concerned as more than 44,000 new cases of Covid-19 were notified over the past two weeks.

Ireland Coronavirus

UK patients reject Pfizer vaccine to wait for 'English' jab, warns doctor

A high-profile doctor in northeast England has said patients turned down the chance to have the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, saying they would "wait for the English one".

Paul Williams Britain UK Coronavirus

6,521 new cases of Covid-19 and 10 further deaths

There have been 10 further coronavirus-related deaths and 6,521 new cases of the disease notified to the Department of Health.

Philip Nolan Ireland Coronavirus

The virus shaping our economy is unpredictable and surprising

Covid-19 continues to be the predominant issue in all our lives. It also continues to be the predominant factor shaping our economy. And because it's the Irish economy, it continues to be unpredictable and surprising.

Ireland business Coronavirus

Podcast: Ep. 70 Ancient Problems, New Solutions?

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pandemic Coronavirus

Almost 1.5 million people given Covid-19 vaccine in UK

Nearly 1.5 million people have now been vaccinated against Covid-19 in the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said, including 1.26 million in England.

Boris Johnson Britain UK Coronavirus

Baby leaves Spanish hospital after ten weeks of Covid treatment

A baby boy who was admitted to a hospital in the Spanish city of Valencia with Covid-19 just nine days after he was born has been discharged 70 days later, to the applause of medics.

Spain Coronavirus

How Israel became world leader in Covid-19 vaccinations

Order early, pay a lot, digitise distribution and stretch the supply.

Usa Germany Israel World Coronavirus

Down could face GAA probe over senior footballers' outdoor session

Down could face sanctions from the GAA after a number of their senior footballers gathered on Tuesday night.

Ireland Sport Coronavirus

'Extraordinary national crisis' for health service - HSE chief

The head of the Health Service Executive has said the health service is facing a "very difficult situation and an extraordinary national crisis" as it deals with a rapidly increasing number of Covid-19 cases.

Paul Reid Ireland city Dublin Coronavirus

Demand for fuel continues to fall due to Covid-19 - CSO

The amount of fuel cleared for excise duty by Revenue is the latest indicator to reveal the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on the economy.

business Coronavirus fall

'One in 40' may have virus in parts of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's chief scientific adviser, Professor Ian Young, has warned that as many as one in 40 people may have Covid-19 in some areas there.

Ian Young Ireland Ulster Coronavirus

WHO calls for intensified measures over 'alarming' virus variant

The World Health Organization's European branch has said more needed to be done to deal with the alarming situation brought on by the variant of the coronavirus discovered recently in southeast England.

Hans Kluge WHO

TUI calls for pause on plan for Leaving Cert students return

The President of the Teachers Union of Ireland has called for a pause to plans to bring Leaving Cert students back to the classroom on a part-time basis next week to allow necessary consultation to take place.

Ireland county Martin education Coronavirus

Japan to declare virus state of emergency in Tokyo

Japan's government will declare a coronavirus state of emergency in the greater Tokyo area, as media said the capital would again report a record daily number of infections.

Japan city Tokyo World Coronavirus

Businesses worst fears realised as 2021 gets off to terrible start

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Christmas Eve Ireland business Coronavirus

Taoiseach to brief Opposition on latest Covid-19 restrictions

The Taoiseach will brief Opposition leaders at Government Buildings later today on the Cabinet's new plan to increase public health restrictions.

Micheál Martin Ireland politics Coronavirus

It has never been more important to stay at home - CMO

The Chief Medical Officer has said that the country is in a serious phase of the latest surge of Covid-19 infections and that we are likely to see escalating mortality and hospital ICU admissions in the coming days and weeks.

Tony Holohan Ireland Coronavirus

Will last throw of the dice stop the health system being overloaded?

The health system is facing its biggest challenge of the pandemic as a tsunami of infections has led to record numbers in our hospitals.

Analysis and Comment Coronavirus

Gardaí to step up checkpoints on national routes

Gardai are beginning an intensive policing operation ensure compliance with the additional restrictions announced by the Government today.

John Twomey Ireland Coronavirus

Dáil to only sit once a week during latest restrictions

The Dáil would only sit one day a week during January under new proposals to tackle the pandemic.

Ireland politics Coronavirus

At a glance: What is in the new Covid-19 restricitons?

The Government has announced a series of new restrictions aimed at tackling the recent surge in Covid-19 cases.

Ireland business Coronavirus

Passengers from Britain, South Africa will need negative PCR test

The Cabinet has agreed that passengers from Britain and South Africa will now need to have a negative PCR test for Covid-19.

Britain Ireland South Africa business

Non-essential construction to cease at 6pm on Friday

The Cabinet has decided that non-essential construction will stop at 6pm on Friday.

Ireland business Coronavirus

Who is most at risk from 'long Covid'?

Analysis: research into the causes and treatments of long Covid will be needed long after the outbreak itself has subsided

France Coronavirus

IDA Ireland secured 246 new investments last year despite Covid-19

The number of jobs created at IDA Ireland-backed companies continued to grow last year, despite Covid-19.

Ireland city Dublin county Ida business Coronavirus

Warning in NI about vaccine phishing text scam

The PSNI is warning people of a phishing scam related to the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Northern Ireland.

Ireland Coronavirus

Moderna Covid-19 vaccine receives EMA approval

The European Medicines Agency has approved the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine for use.

Emer Cooke city Amsterdam Coronavirus

Return to school for Leaving Cert students considered

The Cabinet is considering keeping second level schools open from Monday for Leaving Certificate students only, so that they can attend three days a week.

Ireland education Coronavirus

GCSEs and A-levels cancelled in Northern Ireland

GCSE, AS and A-level schools examinations have been cancelled in Northern Ireland due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Northern Ireland Peter Weir Britain Ireland Coronavirus

Minister for Justice isolating as she tests positive for Covid-19

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that she has tested positive for Covid-19.

Justice Helen Macentee politics Coronavirus

Govt emphasis on limiting movement with latest restrictions

Whatever the reasons for the recent surge of the virus, the reality is that it is spreading quickly and the Government has been forced to tighten restrictions for the third week in a row.

politics Coronavirus

Record numbers in hospital with Covid-19

Health Service Executive Chief Executive Paul Reid has said Ireland has exceeded the peak level of the first wave of the pandemic, with 921 people now in hospital.

Paul Reid Ireland Coronavirus

Minister to ask Cabinet to keep current PUP rates

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys is expected to ask the Cabinet to approve the retention of the current Pandemic Unemployment Payment rates until the end of March, rather than reducing them on 1 February as was originally planned.

Ireland business Coronavirus

US records over 3,900 Covid deaths in 24 hours

The United States has broken its own record for the number of daily deaths from Covid-19 recording 3,936 fatalities in 24 hours, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins university.

Usa Ireland city Baltimore World Coronavirus

WHO virus mission denied entry to China

An expert mission to China to find the origins of the coronavirus pandemic stumbled before it even began, with the head of the World Health Organization complaining that Beijing was blocking the team from entering the country.

Adhanom Ghebreyesus China city Wuhan city Beijing World Coronavirus

Cabinet decisions due on schools, construction, travel

The Cabinet will today consider a raft of tighter public health restrictions, including stricter rules for travellers flying into Ireland and the closure of non-essential construction.

Ireland politics Coronavirus

Stormont signs off on new Covid-19 restrictions

Strict new restrictions to combat the Covid-19 pandemic have been agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive.

Arlene Foster Gavin Williamson Ireland Ulster Coronavirus

'Stay at home' plea to become regulation

Travel – people moving freely across the porous border and travellers arriving at ports and airports – has been a contentious issue since the pandemic began.

Northern Ireland Ireland city Dublin Coronavirus

How worried should Ireland be about the new Covid variant?

The Covid-19 variant known as B117 has already been identified in dozens of countries.

Boris Johnson Britain Ireland Coronavirus

UK and SA travellers will need to produce negative Covid test from Saturday

All travellers arriving into Ireland from Britain and South Africa will have to provide a negative Covid-19 test.

Britain Ireland South Africa Coronavirus

United States	Cases: 46 252 513 Deaths: 750 423 Recovered: 0
India	Cases: 34 321 025 Deaths: 459 652 Recovered: 0
Brazil	Cases: 21 835 785 Deaths: 608 235 Recovered: 0
United Kingdom	Cases: 9 215 683 Deaths: 141 607 Recovered: 0
Russia	Cases: 8 494 589 Deaths: 237 619 Recovered: 0

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