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LAST UPDATE | 16 Mar 2020
IT WAS CONFIRMED yesterday evening that there are 40 new cases of coronavirus in Ireland, bringing the total number in the Republic to 169.
Eleven new cases had been confirmed in the North earlier, bringing the total number there to 45.
The developments came as the government advised that all pubs across the State should close their doors for a fortnight to ensure that social distancing guidelines are followed.
As European countries bring in even more stringent measures, efforts are underway to ensure Irish people can return home.
Here are today’s main Covid-19 points:
Here are the main international points:
With reporting by Garreth MacNamee
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Despite our civilisations achievements, technically, scientific and artistic, despite all our grandiose ideologies, despite all our pompous posturing and posing, our misguided belief in our own superiority, we have been cut down to size by one of the smallest life forms on our planet. We are not the Gods we thought we were.
@Brian McDonnell: Yeah, all right. Calm down there, Doctor Manhattan.
@Brian McDonnell: Ah we are now
@Brian McDonnell: Climb back into bed, have a little snooze then get out the other less scary side this time
@Brian McDonnell: Agree. That’s what I was trying to say for years here. As the bible says, human life is nothing but a vapour. Yet, we like to think we are gods. Now, we can clearly see we aren’t. And even now some of commenting here will still be insulting, arrogant, and denying the obvious.
@Brian McDonnell: sweet Jesus how profound
@Brian McDonnell: it’ll have passed in a few weeks, chill the beans a maneen.
@monika: must read the bible, haven’t read a good fiction novel in a while
@monika: the text of the bible is the obvious?
@Brian McDonnell: you had that locked and loaded. Your 10 mins of fame. Be well.
@Sean O’Rourke: Go away you silly troll.
@Brian McDonnell: FFS Lad..relax your gears, mania, hysteria and posts like yours do nothing to further the cause
@Brian McDonnell: We’ve been waiting over 2000 years for this Jesus bloke to show up.
Just imagine how his popularity ratings would soar if he put in an appearance now!!
@james dimaggio: He would be on the Late Late Show!!!
@Sean O’Rourke: That is a very racist comment -it is a virus, not a person.
@Brian McDonnell: the cosmic ballet….goes on.
‘Does anyone wanna switch seats?’
@Brian McDonnell: Ways to paraphrase HG Wells Pt1.
Do something from the time machine next
@David Corrigan: Nah. They couldn’t afford him!!
@monika: speak for yourself
@Brian McDonnell: small lifeform syndrome. Classic
@Brian McDonnell: New viruses evolve. Humans will get through the crisis and find a vaccine in time. Meanwhile churches are empty but laboratories are full…..no gods need apply!
@Brian McDonnell: Just like SF sitting on their hands in a wide open 6 county Statelet afraid to annoy Ash / Cash DUP.
Get the hell out of that Executive now. Fancy a pint. We can be in Belfast in 90 minutes.
SF lack of leadership is appalling. All about the dosh. Keep taking the money in three Parliaments.
@Fionn Darland: well said!
@Brian McDonnell: technically viruses aren’t even lifeforms.
@David Glynn: Snore!
@Brian McDonnell: That’s a bit dark from the guy who told us to always look on the bright side of life.
@David Glynn: What are you waffling about SF?
@Brian McDonnell: Dont look back in Anger
@zachary vvm: tx for the chuckle I got from your comment
@David Glynn: You criticize SF from not going into Stormont,you criticize SF from not leaving Stormont!!!!
Michelle O Neill, Arlene Foster, Taoiseach,Simon Coveney,etc held a news conference last week after North South Ministerial Council& Michelle O Neill said at least 5 times that schools should close ,in front of Arlene Foster!!!
If they leave the Executive,there won’t be any pressure on DUP to change their stance.
SF leader down here and their health spokesperson have been having regular meetings with Government and other party leaders and the medical experts who are advising Government and other experts also.
Even when Ireland facing this extremely serious National Emergency,you still continue to bring party politics into this!!
@David Corrigan: Nah, Graham Norton would get him. His 2nd cousin would be on the Late Late.
@David Corrigan: he has his own show, its set in a small town in colarado. The shows called jesus and friends.
@David Glynn: SF aren’t leaders in the North, surely you realise that? You bring them up everywhere and anywhere, you’d think you’d know what you’re talking about.
@Graham Manning: any point getting another Mass said ?
@Sean O’Rourke: what a stupid thing to say! If there’s one thing that we should learn from this pandemic, it’s that we are all one species. The world needs to come together to prevent this from happening again! We blame China, yet we demand cheap products and labour which encourages urbanisation, unhygienic living standards, slums etc etc which could lead to disease spreading rampantly!
@monika: ahh the bible… that old fiction novel
@monika: bible? I wouldn’t take anything from that fairytale nonsense
@zachary vvm: But how true,we are too big for our boots,we thought we knew all the answers,the truth is ,we don’t even understand the question.
@Laughable: zzz_zzzzzzzz
@David Glynn: duh sf this sf that sf the other.
@Laughable: You would not understand
@David Glynn: I do, I understand clearly that your a feckin eejit…
@Brian McDonnell: a virus is not a life form. Try harder to wax lyrical….
@Elliot Cantwell: after watching all the people ignoring advice in a good few countries, if there is one thing that has been confirmed to me is that the only thing that truly unites humankind is its capacity to be stupid.
@monika: Yeah but it’s a pity the Bible is full of $h1t
@Nuala Mc Namara: Five times on Friday. No press release until Friday. On SF website. Up till then full square backing Foster. That’s the truth.
And as for remainlng in Executive. To do what exactly.
Northern Ireland only place in the current epicentre that is allowing mass gatherings. Business as usual in pubs.
This party politics argument is bull and you know it.
For evil to triumph just stand idly by.
Everybody out of step bar my Johnny.
When they do act it will be too late. And you will be complicit with your naive commentary and craven acceptance.
You are helping nobody.
O Neill should be on Sky news shouting from the rooftops for action now instead of of allowing us in the south of being used as guinea pigs too.
Wake up!
@Brian McDonnell: Technically a virus isn’t a life form, it’s just stray RNA.
@monika: Monika Monika , have a happy Honika.
@David Glynn: I am NOT in SF!I just stated the facts re SF stance here and what Michelle O Neill said at that North South Ministerial Council news conference!HOW DARE YOU say I will be to blame if schools aren’t closed in the North…… outrageous disgraceful comment!But of course you won’t apologize like you wouldn’t apologize yesterday!
This National Emergency should be beyond party politics but you continue ranting about SF again and again and again…COP ON!
There is cross party support re Convid19 actions here and I 100% support that!
@Nuala Mc Namara: He is a wind up merchant. Ignore him.
@NotMyIreland: I try hard to do that but imagine insinuating that ,because I correct him re inaccuracies in his comments, I will be complicit in consequences of schools not closing in the North….I’m NOT in SF!
That’s an disgusting thing to say when we’re all so worried about our families,our communities and our country,I’m so upset!Many of us are separated from our loved ones including grandchildren during these emergency measures and need to show solidarity and empathy with each other during this difficult time.
@Nuala Mc Namara: Not responsible but complicit
Beyond party politics truism gets you off the hook. SF only party with numbers in Westminster and Stormont. So who else can do anything. And you know that.
The cross party support is down here not up there.
SF are the only party with clout up North with 3 of the 10 ministers. Legitimate to single them out
What you glibly call ranting is acting with good authority to force their hand. You should take the blindfold off and try it sometime.
As for an apology you will be waiting.
@David Glynn: When most people are united in supporting each other through this very stressful time, you’re just adding to the stress with your intimidating disgraceful comments!Cop on
@Nuala Mc Namara: Don’t think you are fooling anyone with your I am upset routine and we are all together in this. You don’t correct inaccuracies. You give your version of the facts. Heres a deal. Ignore me and I will ignore you.
All happy then. And if you continue to target me with your SF platitudes here’s what you get. “ignoring you”. Then just”I Y”.
@Brian McDonnell: sounds like war of the worlds?
@Brian McDonnell: check bill gates comments
@Brian McDonnell: ok
@Brian McDonnell: o
@Brian McDonnell: yes
@Martin: It’ll have passed in a few weeks? its existed since last year and has been steadily growing ever since. How do you figure it’ll just pass?
Smiling is infectious
You catch it like the flu
When someone smiled at me today
I started smiling too
I walked around the corner
And someone saw me grin
When he smiled I realised
I had passed it on to him
I thought about the smile
And then realised its worth
A single smile like mine
Could travel round the earth
So if you feel a smile begin
Don’t leave it undetected
Start an epidemic
And get the world infected.
Spike Milligan
@Paul Kernan:
System up with the top down
Got the city on lockdown
Drive by in the low ride
Hands high when we fly by
@Paul Kernan: lovely poem, keep up with the positive side of life.
@Paul Kernan: Now that made me smile
@Paul Kernan: love it ☺
@Phil Mc Donald: gwan the Philly lad
@Paul Kernan: positivity is good to see amongst all.the negativey we are seeing now. Thank you for that
@Paul Kernan: :D
@Paul Kernan: made me smile just reading it
@Paul Kernan: made me smile just reading it
@Phil Mc Donald:
Fly by
Fly by
Yo yo.
@Phil Mc Donald: Tune!
Thank God for the scientists and experts working day in day out to prepare us for moments like these.
@Ciarán Seosamh: We’re not prepared at all fella – that’s the problem!
@biggybald: The man is expressing his gratitude. Give him a break. What’s with knobheads like you making an argument out of everything?
@Padro Touche: Says the man making an arguement over someone expressing their opinion…
@Padro Touche: It’s cos he’s unhappy with himself and that’s making him very bitter
@Teddy: we’re as prepared as you can be for the unknown.
Side by side
We stand like brothers
One for all and all together
We will stay united through darker days
And we’ll be unbeatable forever
Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We’ll answer Ireland’s call
Come the day and come the hour
Some will live in song and stories
We were born to follow our guiding star
And to meet our destiny with glory
Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We’ll answer Ireland’s call
Hearts of steel and heads are bowing
Vowing never to be broken
We will fight, until we can fight no more
‘Til our final requiem is spoken
Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We’ll answer Ireland’s call
Ireland, Ireland
Together standing tall
Shoulder to shoulder
We’ll answer Ireland’s call
We’ll answer Ireland’s call
@LD: the rugby was called off too!
@LD: I’m grateful for the rugby version, glad I don’t have to belt all that out in the Aviva.
@LD: having to listen to all those verses at full volume should destroy all life forms including viruses. It could be our secret weapon and only hope. Everybody should start singing..Now!
@LD: shoulder to shoulder , people need social distancing
@LD: Deaf to Irelands call. The SF /DUP CHUCKLE brothers. Still open for business.
And this is the shower that have been bleating about our their mandate and the latest poll topping results.
We’ll if you took a poll now in my Republic 100% would vote to shutdown the North apart from the SF bots like the risible RISEN.
How long must we wait??????????
@David Glynn: FFS give the SF bashing a rest. At least keep it for a SF article. You really must have a problem. Its become a complete obsession for you. Can’t be healthy!
@David Glynn: You really are an idiot aren’t you?
@LD: Ireland’s Call by Phil Coulter
Yay pointless poems :
Roses are Red
Viruses are Green ,
Stay away from other people
Sudocreme
@Ríain HenC: In fairness, sudocream is great for many things… I wonder if they tried it on C-19? And it is made in Ireland.
@Paul Whitehead: not sure it’s meant to be ingested Paul ! Haha , mighty for burns , scrapes and even the odd pimple , a proper Irish Fix !
@Ríain HenC: lol ffs
@Ríain HenC: ah ye can’t beat the sudocreme after a newspaper wipe.
@BRIAN MCCARTHY: or even worse an empty skim bag on a building site :D
@Paul Whitehead:
The new TV AD for Sudacrem which started about 2-3 weeks is very clever … with 3 Ti Chi Pandas
..great a product that’s being around for decades getting a new lease of life …
..invented in Cabra in 1931 … 89 years ago primarily to address nappy rash it being sold round the globe for decades ..
I reckon the big uptake recently is due primarily the new wave the commuting cyclists … Sudocrem is the only fix for those suffering from a bad case Cafing of those inner thighs … or jean burn
there will be a cluster in a town near me in 7+ days after a walking festival went ahead
@ed w: You could just name the town though. They’re not going to lynch you. Name and shame.
@ed w: I drove by a large group in the mountains yesterday. Posing in a tight group for a photo. People have out about the young folk partying in Temple bar, most of these walkers looked to be in their 60s – no excuse
@Gordon Walsh: Yep, saw a few large groups of mainly older, 60+ hikers up in wicklow yesterday as well. I normally applaud them for getting out and about and keeping active, but putting it aside for a couple of weeks is not going to destroy your life.
Tbh as someone who is not particularly high risk (hopefully), who has a child now out of school, and is trying to juggle working from home and keeping away from at-risk members of my own family, it really galls me to see the supposedly most vulnerable in society, whom I am trying to protect with my actions, show little regard for their own health and the health of their peers.
@InvaderSkoodge: well they can still go outside just not in large groups.
@InvaderSkoodge: If they are keeping distance, then there is no issue. We will all need to get out for walk each day over the coming weeks. You can only get this virus if you are within a metre of an infected person. Hopefully they all arrived separately by car and kept the required social distance. perspective… perspective…
@Paul Whitehead: they all arrived on a coach and were gathered in a group of 25+. Then stood together and had a huddle. So no, they weren’t keeping to social distancing recommendations.
Look, I think it’s right and appropriate for people to get out and about and get as much fresh air as they can. But it seems like common sense is in as short a supply as hand sanitiser and bog roll lately
@Paul Whitehead: they did not
Just start the lockdown , we know it will happen. Don’t let flights in. Isolate people entering the country.
If the government are serious that what should be done. Coveney a minister for talking sh17.
@Divad Nayr: Hey Divad… there are far more intelligent people than you working on this. Why don’t you take a seat over there and have a yoghurt while the adults are talking.
@A2 Poster: You are the most assertive piece of paper I’ve ever seen. Well done you
@A2 Poster: No higher God than the truth… Ghandi.
Hurts doesn’t it.
We just have to accept the fact that the government or the president needs to shut down all business in the country to stop This from getting worse.
@higgyno1: neither have the power to do so as of now. Look at the pub closures, it’s just a suggestion.
@Dave O’Keeffe: I can see it happening sooner rather then later tbh
@higgyno1: they can suggest it but not order it. Guess it’ll just be emergency services and the minimum wage workers in the local shop putting themselves at risk from then on.
@Dave O’Keeffe: They can introduce emergency legislation to order it!
@Daniel Kelly: yes they can of course, but as of right now they can’t order it.
I know of one pub with a very greedy landlord who will probably continue letting punters in the back door. It is the only pub in town that has fights spilling out into the street. I have often seen them. Leo ought to legislate for the forfeiture of pub licences for non compliance.
@Niall Sheridan: tell us, tell us, tell us! Not fair to give us half a secret.
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED that this government and our failed health service still continue to refuse to release any meaningful information about WHERE these cases are!!! Doing so ALL OVER THE WORLD has helped other countries keep “clusters” relatively contained and localized! SHAME SHAME SHAME on the HSE!!!
@Krista Clem O’Sullivan: how has it worked elsewhere? Didn’t help in Italy. Didn’t stop it getting out of China in the first place. Isn’t helping in the US where you can get all the patients info yet they have a higher death rate than most and I’d imagine have many more cases than are reported. Anything that could make a person reluctant to be tested is a bad thing. The HSE are doing far more to fight this than you or I, with far more knowledge than you or I on the issue. How about you take a seat and stop bashing those that are putting themselves at risk deliberately to help others?
@Dave O’Keeffe: agreed, from the overreaction people are having with stockpiling just imagine giving details of a person with COVID-19, they would be completely ostracised.
@Krista Clem O’Sullivan: Knowing which house the patient was in isn’t going to help. Because the spread is slowed by the actions of everyone.
And the information has been OK, “north Dublin”, “co.clare” etc etc.
I don’t randomly visit secondary schools so I personally didn’t need to know where the initial cases were.
@Forest Hump: that’s the point, if ostracized it makes it more difficult for them to pass it on.
Why doesn’t the Minister call for a National Day of Prayer?
@Dermot O’Reilly: lol
@Dermot O’Reilly: because he is a rational minded person I suppose
@Dermot O’Reilly: How exactly will that stop the spread of a virus?
Considering the the church itself is cancelling physical gathering?
@Dermot O’Reilly: hahaha you seriously think that would make a difference? You one funny person.
@Paula Mackie Senior: ah is there nothing to be said to just have them say another mass even a small one with let’s say 99 people, I love a good mass
A silver lining of this crisis may be that people will begin to see through the populist and divisive blowhards Trump , Bolsonaro and Boris Johnson .The leadership of all three has been found wanting in this crisis and the usual tactics of Trump and Bolsonaro in first calling it a Hoax/fake news, causing distractions and blaming everyone else have not worked in this case.
@Robert Woodward: Hey Bob,
Can you please tell me when Trump called it a hoax? Betcha cant.
@Frank Mc Caffery: at a rally a little over 2 weeks ago, it was recorded and played repeatedly. He referred to it as “a Democratic Hoax,……….. just like the impeachment hoax”
@GinandJetfuel: he even suggested that he had a real talent for understanding the science
@GinandJetfuel: Eh no Ginand. He explicitly stated that the democrats lies in response to the virus was a hoax. Please keep up.
@Frank Mc Caffery: February 28, 2020 at a rally in the USA. Referring to the Democrats he said “This (Coronavirus) is their new hoax”.
@Rathminder: No he did not. Try again.
I’ve got slim Whitman’s Indian love call blaring since last Thursday.
@Charles McCarthy: listening to Bowie here. ‘Is there Life on Mars’..
God forbid this doesn’t become seasonal.
Lock the border .
Or the people should lock it for you , north and south port and airport staff walk off
@Sk19: if only I could remember where I left that key
@Dave O’Keeffe: very good ,
I know a few guys who are waiting 3 days to get tested. High temperatures. No one answering phones.
Our boss told us in work today that if we don’t come into work in the morning
he will virus
I’d say the country is gone mad ridin..
I hope we all survive to watch reeling in the years. Interesting to see if we got it right with how we are tackling it.
It’s so important that each of us do our part to ‘flatten the curve’ re coronavirus spread & the following article in the Washington Post with charts is excellent, especially 4 charts!
:’These simulations show how to flatten the coronavirus growth curve’-washingtonpost.com
If the UK do not cop on soon we will need to review cross-border travel – we are exposed to the stupidity of Borris here.
The virus as an entity has been with us since the dawn of time and will be here long after us . This one is just another to challenge us . If it starts to attain a mortality rate like for instance Ebola or Marbug virus then we truly are in trouble .
@Paul Connell: Well Ebola actually burns itself out as it has such a high CFR.
The tricky part of Covid-19 is the high infection rate (it’s R0 value) and it’s relatively long incubation period.
Personally speaking I think the message on the covid-19 virus has been lost and the message of social distancing is especially lost. Last night in my estate kids playing out on the green area today builders a few doors up all huddled together on there break. A neighbour who’s not long after undergoing treatment for breast cancer in visiting grandkids 1 grandkid 3 weeks old shops petrol stations packed solid. A rethink is needed or people are just going to revert back to default.
“40 new cases confirmed”
Vs.
“40 new confirmed cases”
There s
@ConPhoto: there’s an important difference that should be noted as per editorial guidelines in this age of important public information @thejournal
Laughable two HSE staff handing out leaflets at Dublin airport. This country is really on top of this crisis. FFS
I think its being spread on mobile phones etc vapour from breath carrying the bug onto the device whilst you are talking on it then you text and its on your hands and you touch other things and the cycle continues regardless of handwashing as you could wash your hands all day long but if you pick up a device with germs on it that you have been carrying around all day then you have defeated the purpose
@Liam: so I’m breathing the virus onto my own phone, then reinfecting myself after I wash my hands…………..right.
@GinandJetfuel: u a smart kid lad
I am trying to form a lexicon of phrases that in years to come will become associated with the year 2020, and so far I can only come up with ‘social distancing’ and ‘self isolation’ and was wondering if any of my fellow Journal commentators could help me to populate the Coronona list. It’s a slow self-isolating day, and I am playing my part in the social distancing experiment.
@Noel Martin: herd immunity
@Noel Martin: aerosolisation
community transmission
N95 respirator
disposable gloves
hand hygiene
drive-through testing
virology lab
elbow bump
Wuhan shake
Asymptomatic
HSPC
@Noel Martin: the year St Patricks Day was cancelled
Has anyone ever in the history of recorded time dialed 112 instead of 999 in an emergency?
@Gerard Martin: yes, when you have a signal problem with YOUR etwork, 112 will find a working network, 999 will not as it is not a European emergency number
Of course we thank our scientist and healthcare workers for finding ways to save us and take care of us.Whether God or no God who cares.I think it is just rhetoric.No need to be smart Alec all the time
Not planning to enter the White House anytime soon.
Macron will use this to gain more power over the french people
When will ppl learn and stop drinking corona….drink bud or something
Google bill gates comments on the corona virus from 2015 on you tube
200percent unspoken fact globally
Pity ….borderline conspiracy stuff here but was the touch phone invented for any real good anyway
Facebook Twitter pinterest snapchat
As a society we are not meant to be mentally aware
If we were mentally aware wouldn’t be able to he advertised to
But were all sheep
Eamon Ryan called on political parties … to form a crisis National Unity Government.
Good man Eamonn, power at any price and / or opportunity. Hasn’t changed since his last time – that’s not a decision, grow a pair!
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