Ireland recorded the world's highest Covid-19 infection rate despite being lauded for its success in responding to previous waves of the virus.
The country, with a population of almost five million, is battling a “tsunami of infection” after restrictions were relaxed over Christmas.
In December, it had the EU’s lowest incidence rate after becoming the first member state to enter a second national lockdown – now Ireland tops a world table that tracks new infections.
There were 1,288 confirmed cases per million of the population on Monday, according to data compiled by the University of Oxford, placing Ireland first, ahead of the Czech Republic and Slovenia.
This chart shows how the rate of infection in the country has shot up in the lst couple of weeks.
The soaring infection rate resulted in healthcare workers who have had close contact with a Covid-positive patient being asked to return to work if they are asymptomatic.
More than 7,000 healthcare workers in the country are out of work.
Irish Health Services chief executive Ann O’Connor said that under ordinary circumstances close contacts should remain at home but that “that is not available to us in this instance”.
“The reality is now that the demand is so high and the numbers are becoming so high that we need people at work and given the level of absenteeism, that is becoming very difficult,” she told RTE Radio on Wednesday.
Ireland officially registered more than 93,000 cases on January 1, but that figure spiralled to more than 150,000 by last Monday.
On Tuesday, Switzerland announced a quarantine on Irish travellers as World Health Organisation emergencies director Michael Ryan said the nation has "one of the most acute increases in disease incidence of any country".
The head of Ireland's health service said that hospitals were "beyond strain". There were 1,700 patients in hospital with the virus on Tuesday, nearly double the peak registered in Ireland's first wave early last year.
Schools, non-essential shops and hospitality venues are shut under lockdown rules in force.
Prime Minister Micheal Martin said last week that healthcare workers were facing a "tsunami of infection".
"Unless you are involved in absolutely essential work you have no reason to be away from your home," he told the public.
Ireland relaxed coronavirus restrictions over the festive period when pubs, restaurants, gyms, hairdressers and non-essential shops were permitted to reopen in December, having been closed during the country’s second national lockdown.
The decision was against the advice of Ireland's public health officials, who recommended that stringent measures continue.
Ireland paying price of relaxation
Ireland relaxed restrictions again in late December, allowing up to three households to mingle as Mr Martin aimed to give citizens a "meaningful Christmas", and chief medical officer Tony Holohan said there was "a significant change in the patterns of socialisation" as a result.
He said before the Christmas period there were "pre-pandemic levels of socialisation" helping the virus to spread.
The country is also experiencing an increase in cases of a variant of coronavirus, believed to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible and first identified in south-east England.
Ireland announced the first confirmed case of the variant on Christmas Day. On Monday, health officials said data from the first week of 2021 showed the new variant accounted for 45 per cent of Covid-19 samples tested.
Ireland banned flights from Britain from December 20 until January 9 and travellers arriving must now present a negative Covid-19 test.
However, media reports suggested its border arrangements hamper efforts to prevent the spread of the new variant from Britain.
Ireland borders the UK province of Northern Ireland and citizens on either side of the frontier were involved in a sectarian conflict known as The Troubles, which ended in 1998.
Under a peace deal, the 498-kilometre border was opened and it has been deemed too politically sensitive to shut it down.
Mr Martin said it was "very hard" to seal the border.
He also said it was "overly simplistic to just focus on one area" to blame for Ireland's vertiginous infection rate.
"I'm accepting socialisation, I would add the UK variant and I would add other factors as well," he told Newstalk radio.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Results
2.15pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Hello, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihi (trainer).
2.45pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Right Flank, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh115,000 1,000m
Winner: Leading Spirit, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
3.45pm: Jebel Ali Mile Group 3 Dh575,000 1,600m
Winner: Chiefdom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,400m
Winner: Ode To Autumn, Patrick Cosgrave, Satish Seemar.
4.45pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh125,000 1,200m
Winner: Last Surprise, James Doyle, Simon Crisford.
5.15pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,200m
Winner: Daltrey, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihi.
HAJJAN
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Three trading apps to try
Sharad Nair recommends three investment apps for UAE residents:
- For beginners or people who want to start investing with limited capital, Mr Nair suggests eToro. “The low fees and low minimum balance requirements make the platform more accessible,” he says. “The user interface is straightforward to understand and operate, while its social element may help ease beginners into the idea of investing money by looking to a virtual community.”
- If you’re an experienced investor, and have $10,000 or more to invest, consider Saxo Bank. “Saxo Bank offers a more comprehensive trading platform with advanced features and insight for more experienced users. It offers a more personalised approach to opening and operating an account on their platform,” he says.
- Finally, StashAway could work for those who want a hands-off approach to their investing. “It removes one of the biggest challenges for novice traders: picking the securities in their portfolio,” Mr Nair says. “A goal-based approach or view towards investing can help motivate residents who may usually shy away from investment platforms.”
OTHER IPL BOWLING RECORDS
Best bowling figures: 6-14 – Sohail Tanvir (for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings in 2008)
Best average: 16.36 – Andrew Tye
Best economy rate: 6.53 – Sunil Narine
Best strike-rate: 12.83 – Andrew Tye
Best strike-rate in an innings: 1.50 – Suresh Raina (for Chennai Super Kings against Rajasthan Royals in 2011)
Most runs conceded in an innings: 70 – Basil Thampi (for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018)
Most hat-tricks: 3 – Amit Mishra
Most dot-balls: 1,128 – Harbhajan Singh
Most maiden overs bowled: 14 – Praveen Kumar
Most four-wicket hauls: 6 – Sunil Narine
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
South Africa v India schedule
Tests: 1st Test Jan 5-9, Cape Town; 2nd Test Jan 13-17, Centurion; 3rd Test Jan 24-28, Johannesburg
ODIs: 1st ODI Feb 1, Durban; 2nd ODI Feb 4, Centurion; 3rd ODI Feb 7, Cape Town; 4th ODI Feb 10, Johannesburg; 5th ODI Feb 13, Port Elizabeth; 6th ODI Feb 16, Centurion
T20Is: 1st T20I Feb 18, Johannesburg; 2nd T20I Feb 21, Centurion; 3rd T20I Feb 24, Cape Town
Courses%20at%20Istituto%20Marangoni%2C%20Dubai
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
