Rescuing retailers; Brexit influx; and Sanofi’s Covid alert

Retailers opening their doors today for the first time in almost two months want the Government to back a 12-month rates holidayas well as providing grants equal to 60 per cent of commercial rent, zero per cent loans and Covid compensation to aid their recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Barry O'Halloran has the details.

A Brexit-driven spike in demand for pilot and aircraft engineer licences put pressure on resources at the Irish Aviation Authority last year, according to a Government-commissioned report. Barry O'Halloran writes that the report also calls for the speeding up of plans to split the regulatory roles for safety and flight navigation into two agencies.

French pharma giant Sanofi has warned Irish doctors of a recent increase in serious and life-threatening heart conditions in patients prescribed hydroxychloroquine – including a number of sudden deaths. The drug was made popular as a treatment for Covid by US president Donald Trump, who described it as a "miracle cure".

Pilita Clark also has one eye on the re-opening of the economy in her column this week. Even when business re-opens, times will be harsh, especially for those in the informal economy, she writes. But positives have also emerged in the shutdown and she hopes that a lot of what has changed in recent weeks will last.

Diaceutics unveils €26m precision medicine network plan

---

Sanofi issues Irish alert about Trump ‘miracle cure’ drug

---

Remote working carries data breach risk for companies

---

Covid-19: Innovation pays dividends for Swords bike shop

---

Epidemiologists, like economists, can produce diametrically opposing advice on pandemic lockdowns with models by tweaking a few key assumptions, writes Chris Johns.

And economist Jim Power argues that it is essential for the social, economic and financial wellbeing of the overall economy that the coronavirus crisis is not followed by a period of fiscal austerity like that we endured following the financial crash of 2007/08.

Stay up to date with all our business news: sign up to our business news alerts and our Business Today daily email news digest.