WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Daily Covid-19 round-up

Here is your daily Covid-19 (coronavirus) round-up March 31, 2020:

• The Irish economy could retract by 13% and an economic depression could ensue should Covid-19 last into the summer months. A potential 318,000 people are expected to loose their jobs according to scenario analysis on the Irish economy produced by  Ernest and Young (EY).

• The Department of Agriculture have agreed on strict protocols which will allow for the operation of marts across Ireland. Marts were closed last week due to Covid-19 during an exceptionally busy period for farmers. Marts across Ireland were practicing social distancing measures up until their closures. 

• Hundreds of Covid-19 testing appointments cancelled due to the shortage of testing kits. Test centers across Ireland were forced to close their doors yesterday evening as medical staff ran out of the required equipment to test patients, according to the Herald.ie.

• Irish Water's new non-domestic tariff framework for business customers is to be deferred as a result of the current Covid 19 emergency. The new framework which supports a new national set of charges was due to come into effect on May 1 2020, with customers due to receive communications about these changes in the coming weeks.

• The Irish Nurses and Midwifes Organisation (INMO) is calling for government to provide childcare for frontline healthcare workers.  Restrictions on childcare has caused the frontline to become compromised as staff cannot attend work due to parental obligations due to school and creche closures. 

• ALONE has received more than 1,100 calls to their COVID-19 helpline for older people on Saturday following the introduction of the cocooning measures. ALONE has received more than 5,500 calls to their National Helpline in total, which is operating in collaboration with the Department of Health and the HSE.

• A UK scientist stated that a vaccine for Covid-19 is still months away from becoming mainstream. Two virus vaccines have start clinical human trials, however many have yet to reach that phase and are still in research stages. 

• Feed The Heroes is a national fund which aims to provide frontline staff with nutritious meals. These critical staff members act as our first line of medical defense against Covid-19, and Feed The Heroes raised a staggering €550,000 in just two weeks. 

• Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI) issues guidance to veterinary registrants regarding COVID-19 essential work.The VCI, which is the statutory body responsible for the regulation and management of the practise of veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing in the state, has issued guidance to veterinary registrants regarding COVID-19.

• The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is to further advise Government today to contain Covid-19 through additional measures. Most notably, the NPHET is assessing nursing homes and residential living settings as there currently exists 22 clusters of Covid-19 in these areas, with the majority being in the east of the country. These nursing home clusters account for 20% of all clusters. 

• Tánaiste Simon Coveney is scheduled to hold a teleconference with Stormont leaders and the British secretary of state to Northern Ireland today to discuss cross border cooperation during the global Covid-19 health crisis.