Latest Figures
For the second time, there have been no new deaths from Coronavirus reported today.
1,706 people have died from the virus so far.
While there has been a total of 18 new cases of Coronavirus have been diagnosed in Ireland today.
This is an increase on the total cases from yesterday and takes the overall total to 25,321.
In Laois, the figure remains at 264.
Nowhere to sit and wearing face coverings is ‘up to the customer’: Shopping centres open back up
“It’s good to see people back,” as one shopper at Dundrum Town Centre said this morning.
Months after non-essential retailers had closed their doors, retailers located in shopping centres are now allowed to open back up today, much to the relief of staff.
You can read the full report here.
Countries across Europe continue to open up their borders to foreign travellers
Countries across the EU have continued to ease their respective lockdown measures this week with many relaxing their border restrictions to visitors from other countries.
The EU has been aiming to coordinate the border reopening among its 27 members, encouraging all countries to reopen to member states from today, although some have already reopened in recent weeks.
You can read the full report here.
A wave of cases in Beijing causes officials to lock down a section of the city.
A section of Beijing was locked down on Monday as the government rushed to contain a new outbreak of coronavirus infections — an unnerving breach in the capital, which President Xi Jinping of China had said should be a fortress against the pandemic.
City officials said they had tracked down 79 infections in Beijing over the previous four days, including 36 confirmed on Sunday. All appeared ultimately traceable to the vast, bustling Xinfadi food market in the south of Beijing.
You can read The New York Times piece in full here.
Tuohy back in action as AFL resumes Down Under
With Australia escaping the worst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the country has been re-opening in recent weeks with sports fixtures taking place over the weekend for the first time since March.
Australia have had only had just over 100 deaths from the disease and about 7,500 cases and their Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said last week that they have “effectively achieved elimination at this time in many parts of the country”.
For Portlaoise man Zach Tuohy and his club Geelong, it meant their season was able to get back underway.
You can read the piece in full here.
‘The eyes of the world will be on us’ – Villa and Sheff Utd set for relaunch
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder and Aston Villa boss Dean Smith said they were aware the eyes of the world would be on their match when they relaunch the Premier League on Wednesday.
The high-flying Blades travel to Villa Park for the first game in the English top-flight after a three-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Later on Wednesday, Manchester City host Arsenal, with 92 games packed into just five-and-a-half weeks.
You can read The 42 piece in full here.
Doubts over the future of Portlaoise Leisure Centre as staff meeting called
A meeting between management and the staff of Portlaoise Leisure Centre will be held tonight over the facility’s future.
LaoisToday understands that the facility is in severe financial difficulty and is set to shut in part.
You can read the full report here.
Visitors will be permitted in nursing homes for the first time since March from today
For the first time since March, people will be permitted to visit loved ones in nursing homes from today.
There are, however, strict protocols in place to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 in such residential settings which have been severely affected during the pandemic.
The move to allow visitors to nursing homes again had originally been earmarked for the beginning of Phase Three on 29 June, but chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has said it was felt the “conditions are right for us to bring that forward”.
‘We tried to be fair to players’ says Laois GAA chairman on club fixture schedule
Laois GAA chairman Peter O’Neill has said that a desire to be fair to club players was their main priority as they set out a schedule for this year’s local championship for when games are allowed to resume on July 31.
The Laois CCC met last week when they proposed how this year’s competitions would proceed following the Coronavirus restrictions.
You can read the full report here.
