LAST UPDATE | 2 Jun 2020

NEW FIGURES SHOW that more than 10,000 health and social care workers are receiving the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit, more than in any other sector.

It comes after health officials confirmed last night that a further one person with Covid-19 has died in Ireland, with 77 further cases reported.

On the international front, China has reported its first death from the virus in a number of weeks, while there has been a warning from the World Health Organisation about the long-term impact the crisis will have on antibiotic resistance.

Here are today’s Covid-19 main points:

• The Health Service Executive appeared before the Oireachtas today, where it warned that healthcare will continue to be delivered in a risky environment until a vaccine for Covid-19 is found.
• Health officials confirmed that a further 8 people with Covid-19 have died in Ireland, and there have been 10 new confirmed cases. 
• Health Minister Simon Harris said that 93% of healthcare workers who had Covid-19 had recovered, and also warned against mass gatherings, even for an anti-racism protest.
• A number of posts claiming that some Penneys stores will reopen on a phased basis this week have been widely shared on social media in recent days. 
• More than 10,000 health and social care workers are receiving the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit at the moment, the highest number in any working sector.
• The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has issued new guidance for Covid-19 face coverings for use in the community.
• There have been 88 incidents of people spitting or coughing on Garda members since 8 April. 
• The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has said that there are 36,200 fewer people receiving the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) this week compared to the same time last week.
• Lord Mayor of Dublin Tom Brabazon has thanked the people of China for donating 20,000 face coverings.
• Almost 100 of the 234 St Vincent de Paul charity shops throughout the country will begin re-opening next Monday, 8 June. A full list of all reopened shops is here. 
• Uachtarán Michael D Higgins has a message for primary school students in sixth class, who may be disappointed at cancelled events, and as their primary education comes to an end.
• Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party that he was confident that Ireland would be able to move into Phase Two of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. A final decision will be made by Cabinet on Friday. 
• Gardaí have said that they will be investigating all the circumstances surrounding the Black Lives Matter demonstration which took place in Dublin at the weekend in relation to potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations.

Here are today’s international Covid-19 main points:

• More than 375,000 people have died worldwide from Covid-19.
• A doctor in Wuhan who worked with coronavirus whistleblower Li Wenliang has died from Covid-19, becoming China’s first fatality in weeks.
• A new study almost 8,000 cases of different coronaviruses has found that there is a “much lower risk” of transmission when physical distance is greater than 1m.
• At least 20 journalists have died from the coronavirus outbreak in Peru, most of them infected while reporting on the pandemic, a union has said.
• The World Health Organisation has warned that the increased use of antibiotics to combat Covid-19 will strengthen bacterial resistance and ultimately lead to more deaths during the crisis and beyond.

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