NEWS MEDIA REVIEW

Photo – See Daily Telegraph report below

A record rise in anti-Semitic incidents has seen Home Office provide £14 million for security measures to protect the Jewish community
Daily Telegraph
[[] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/01/jewish-community-get-14-million-government-grant-security-record/?utm]

Belfast City Hospital tower block to be north’s first ‘Nightingale Hospital’ to deal with Covid-19 surge
Unprecedented overhaul of NI’s health system with 230 critical care beds for Covid patients in one hospital. Maze site will be assessed for dreaded second wave. Huge number of nurses and docs redeployed – frontline access to PPE/testing urgently needed

Last night the number of deaths with coronavirus in NI now stands at 36 after six more people died in the last 24 hours. The PHA report adds that the cumulative number of laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases in NI is now 774. So far 6,899 people have been tested.

220 isolation beds for homeless in Dublin as nine test positive for Covid-19. Nine homeless people have been confirmed to have Covid-19 to date in the capital, with 51 people self-isolating at present. 110 apartments have been secured and 110 individual hotel rooms. This is on top of more than 500 beds already made available. Pat Doyle from the Peter McVerry Trust said the extra beds and rooms are badly needed. He said: “We have 51 people isolating, we have nine confirmed cases, we have about another 10 people moving today into isolation.”
[[] https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/220-isolation-beds-for-homeless-in-dublin-as-nine-test-positive-for-covid-19-991662.html?utm_ ]

The Covid-19 story took another twist on Thursday when a DUP councillor, John Carson, blamed the pandemic on the legislation of abortion and same sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Mr Carson has received severe criticism for the post he made on Facebook and the DUP have distanced themselves from his views. Mr Carson subsequently issued an apology.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits in Ireland is expected to increase by some 300,000 people for the month of March as a result of strict Covid-19 measures, experts have warned.

Fears coronavirus could cost Irish state €30 billion as confirmed cases continue to climb
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said testing will be ramped up within two weeks in order to get a clearer picture of how many people actually have the virus

Open letter to Northern Ireland’s food champions from DAERA Minister, Edwin Poots – Ulster Farmers Union
I want to say a heartfelt thank you and pay tribute to everyone working so hard to keep food on our tables. ”
[[] https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/news/open-letter-northern-irelands-food-champions-edwin-poots ]

The Congregation for Divine Worship has composed a new votive Mass “in the time of pandemic” – Catholic Herald
[[] http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/04/cdw-issues-new-liturgical-texts-in.html#.XoW4U25uPGI ]

Cartoon from the FT’s Ingram Pinn