Coronavirus

A man walks past part of the ‘IN THESE STRANGE TIMES: an evolving series created in response to the pandemic’ exhibition at the Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Serious illness and death from Covid-19 plummeting amid vaccine rollout, data shows
Mountaineers, Sherpas and team expedition members at Everest base camp in early May. Photograph: Prakash Mathema/AFP via Getty Images Nepal’s growing Covid crisis finds its way to Everest base camp
Portobello Plaza in Dublin which has been closed off this weekend by Dublin City Council due to what they describe as unaccepatable behaviour. Photograph: Laura Hutton Portobello Plaza closed for weekend after recent ‘unacceptable behaviour’
People awaiting Covid-19 test results have been asked to continue to self isolate. File photograph: Alan Betson/ The Irish Times Cyber attack to impede ability of health service to organise effective Covid-19 testing
Liz Canavan: the number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment continues to fall. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times Covid: Employers struggling to rehire staff ‘should contact Dept of Social Protection’
A programme of online activities including virtual content promoting exhibitors is planned for Ploughing Week this year between September 15th and 17th. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times Ploughing trade show cancelled due to ‘lack of clarity’ on Covid restrictions
A walk-in Covid-19 test centre in Balbriggan. File photograph: Alan Betson Search the data: How is Covid-19 spreading in your local area?
A 12-week gap between Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine doses significantly increases the immune response in older people, research suggests. Photograph: PA Wire Delay in giving second Pfizer vaccine dose improves immunity, study finds
US vice president Kamala Harris and president Joe Biden walk away after Mr Biden made remarks on new Covid-19 advice from the Centres for Disease Control. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/EPA/Pool. Covid-19: Vaccinated people in US can stop wearing masks, social distancing

Vaccine Rollout

Prof Karina Butler, Chair of National Immunisation Advisory Committee. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin Explainer: What is Niac? The group behind key Covid-19 vaccine advice
Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker: What's available in the Republic of Ireland and what else is coming?
Late last month Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil ‘the target is still the target’. File photograph: The Irish Times Explainer: Will 82% of adults really be vaccinated by end of June?
Confronted by the prospect of hundreds of thousands of vaccines going to waste, the decision was taken to recommend sticking with an age-based rollout. File photograph: Sao Paulo State Government/AFP via Getty Images Vaccine Q&A: With targets in the balance, what is going on with the rollout?
The Government has approved further changes to the Covid-19 vaccination plan on Tuesday, so what are they? Photograph: Liselotte Sabroe/EPA Q&A: What are the latest changes to the Covid-19 vaccination plan?
The HSE Vaccination Centre at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson Covid-19 vaccines: After all the recent changes, when am I due my jab?
‘Early data shows that the first dose of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines is highly effective.’ Explainer: Pros and cons of extending gap between vaccine doses
Covid-19: just 7 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease. Source photograph: Getty Q&A: What can the fully vaccinated do? They might be disappointed to find out
Extra doses are also expected from Moderna, as pharma companies push to supply as much as possible in the final days of the first quarter of the year, due to contract agreements. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill 4:24 Q&A: When will I get my Covid-19 vaccine?

Ireland

A man walks past part of the ‘IN THESE STRANGE TIMES: an evolving series created in response to the pandemic’ exhibition at the Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Serious illness and death from Covid-19 plummeting amid vaccine rollout, data shows
Portobello Plaza in Dublin which has been closed off this weekend by Dublin City Council due to what they describe as unaccepatable behaviour. Photograph: Laura Hutton Portobello Plaza closed for weekend after recent ‘unacceptable behaviour’
People awaiting Covid-19 test results have been asked to continue to self isolate. File photograph: Alan Betson/ The Irish Times Cyber attack to impede ability of health service to organise effective Covid-19 testing
Liz Canavan: the number of people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment continues to fall. File photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times Covid: Employers struggling to rehire staff ‘should contact Dept of Social Protection’
A programme of online activities including virtual content promoting exhibitors is planned for Ploughing Week this year between September 15th and 17th. Photograph: Eric Luke/The Irish Times Ploughing trade show cancelled due to ‘lack of clarity’ on Covid restrictions

World

Mountaineers, Sherpas and team expedition members at Everest base camp in early May. Photograph: Prakash Mathema/AFP via Getty Images Nepal’s growing Covid crisis finds its way to Everest base camp
US vice president Kamala Harris and president Joe Biden walk away after Mr Biden made remarks on new Covid-19 advice from the Centres for Disease Control. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/EPA/Pool. Covid-19: Vaccinated people in US can stop wearing masks, social distancing
Although the Indian Covid-19 variant is thought to be highly transmissible, vaccines are expected to be effective against it. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images. Covid-19: ‘Further action’ may be needed as Indian variant spreads in UK
A replica Statue of Liberty looms overhead as a man has his photograph taken next to Olympics branded boarding at the Odaiba Marine Park Olympic venue in Tokyo, Japan. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images. Japanese towns ‘abandon plans’ to host Olympic athletes amid Covid-19 surge
Prime minister Boris Johnson elbow greets a nurse at Westminster Abbey’s annual service for the Florence Nightingale Foundation, to mark nurses’ contribution to the community. Photograph: Victoria Jones/PA Wire 3:01 Public inquiry into British government’s handling of pandemic to be next spring

Business

It is unclear yet whether foreign tourists who enter Britain would be permitted automatic travel to Ireland under the bubble system. 3:24 Government plans to open travel bubble with Britain
Roche, which also operates in Ireland, does not make vaccines but it has been an important player in providing Covid-19 tests and medicines. Photograph: Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images Roche chief compares waiving vaccine patents to East German nationalisation
Among the vaccinated population of Seychelles that has had two doses, 57 per cent were given Sinopharm, while 43 per cent were given AstraZeneca. Photograph: iStock World’s most vaccinated nation is spooked by Covid spike
Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton told workers in a video the airline had too many resources and had to prepare to rebuild its finances in the future. Photograph: iStock 3:06 Unions to meet Aer Lingus to discuss jobs outlook as losses mount
A South African health worker administering the Johnson and Johnson vaccine at Khayelitsha hospital in Cape Town. Photograph. EPA/Nic Bothma Germany makes J&J vaccine available to all adults
Confronting Coronavirus - The Biggest Story of our Lives Confronting Coronavirus - The Biggest Story of our Lives

This is the final instalment of the Confronting Coronavirus podcast series. For the final two-part episode, we’ve asked a handful of Irish Times journ (...)

Lives Lost The rich and full lives of the people behind the Covid-19 death statistics
 

Opinion & Analysis

Housing, employment and mental health among key challenges for young people. File photograph: iStock Generation Covid: Are there short-term fixes to help young adults?
Lidl antigen tests which went on sale last week.Photograph:Gareth Chaney/Collins Q&A: Does antigen testing have a place in Ireland’s reopening?
Penneys as non-essential retail opens for click-and-collect and appointment-only shopping: A significant proportion of our population, one in five respondents, are non-committal or at best lukewarm about their plan to take the vaccine. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Vaccine hesitancy brewing up to be big problem
Will the return to public worship be solely a return, or will it offer a path to a better future? Photograph: iStock Faith and Covid: Majority of churchgoers want return to old worship patterns
Prof Karina Butler, Chair of National Immunisation Advisory Committee. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin Explainer: What is Niac? The group behind key Covid-19 vaccine advice
Late last month Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil ‘the target is still the target’. File photograph: The Irish Times Explainer: Will 82% of adults really be vaccinated by end of June?
Anthony Kilcoyne puts the finishing touches to Dolores Carr’s hair at his hair salon, Salon 2, in Sligo. Photograph: James Connolly ‘The atmosphere is like we won the lotto’ says Sligo salon owner
Young people have seen their jobs lost, lives interrupted and education disrupted. Photograph: Getty Images Young people are bearing the brunt of this economic crisis
The rigid factory-floor model of office life has been around since the industrial revolution. But Covid has demanded questions about what an office is really for if you don’t actually have to go there for work Jennifer O'Connell: ‘Back to normal by August’? No thanks

Life & Style

Forgiveness can bring release and a way out of the trap of resentment. Photograph: iStock Confronting the hurts of a long, tough year of lockdowns
A travel industry representative said those making bookings now appeared ‘responsible’. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times Numbers booking hotels and flights rose last month, data shows
Elizabeth Simpson-Smith and Raynor Smith have balanced the uncertainty of working in a risk-laden environment while home-schooling and supporting their children. Photograph: Ruth Medjber Working on the supermarket frontline: ‘It’s really encouraging to be recognised’
Electric Picnic 2021: ‘I can see no reason why the Irish Government wouldn’t be saying you can be back to normal in August,’ says Melvin Benn of Festival Republic. Photograph: Dave Meehan Electric Picnic: ‘No reason’ why 2021 festival can’t go ahead
Outdoor dining at The Towers bar and restaurant on the Quay in Westport. 100 places to eat outdoors around Ireland when outdoor dining returns on June 7th

Sport

People walk past a banner with the logo of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games hanging from the wall of the Tokyo Metropolitan City Hall. Photograph: Kimimasa Mayama/EPA 3:31 State of emergency to be declared in Tokyo amid pre-Olympics Covid surge
A health care worker examines Oleksandr Petriv, a member of the Ukrainian Olympic shooting team, before vaccinating him a dose of Chinese-developed CoronaVac vaccine against Covid-19 in Kiev. Photo: Volodymyr Petrov/EPA Irish Olympic athletes won’t get Covid vaccines early, says Chambers
Since the resumption of professional sport, 11 Leinster Rugby matches have been played behind closed doors at the RDS Arena, with no incidences of Covid-19 reported as a result of these games taking place. File photograph: Inpho Leinster submit detailed plans to Government for safe return of spectators
The Aviva Stadium, at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, which is due to host European Championship games this summer. Photograph: Eric Luke Ban on fans at matches may see Dublin lose European Championship games
Thiago Alcantara has yet to play in a full Anfield since his summer move to champions Liverpool. File photograph: EPA Thiago Alcântara explains how hard it is playing in Covid-19 era

Education

The number of Covid-19 outbreaks in schools rose to 61 during the May 2nd-May 8th period, up from 29 the previous week. Photograph: Alan Betson Covid-19: Transmission rates in schools remain low despite outbreaks doubling in one week
Unless schools can make up for the disruption, the ESRI study says learning loss during the closures are expected to “ripple through students’ educational trajectories and into their later life”. 4:54 Junior Cert students ‘disengaged’ due to exam cancellation
All students in special schools, special classes and those with complex needs in mainstream schools will be eligible to participate in the summer programme. Photograph: iStock Expanded summer ‘catch-up’ programme to support up to 81,000 vulnerable children
Sand, stones and flowers feature in some of the outdoor creations by students at Knocknacarra National School in Galway. Open-air classrooms: Six tips for teaching in the great outdoors
Many Leaving Cert students are “terrified” about testing positive for Covid-19 or being designated a close contact and jeopardising their chances of sitting the written exams. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Leaving Cert students ‘terrified’ about contracting Covid in run-up to exams

Guides

From May 10th, beauty services, including barbers and hairdressers, will reopen. Photograph: Marcin Bielecki/ EPA Q&A: Leg wax? Shopping? A visit to Kerry? How to enjoy reopening without catching Covid
Grafton Street, Dublin in December following the re-opening. Non-essentail retail set to reopen in May. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Explainer: What are the reopening plans and key dates for exiting lockdown?
Summer holidays: the Seychelles and Maldives want to welcome tourists back. Source photograph: Romolo Tavani/iStock/Getty Q&A: What are the chances of being able to holiday abroad this summer?
A test sample is dropped onto an antigen testing strip at Berlin Brandenburg Airport in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz/Bloomberg Will rapid work-based Covid testing soon become the norm?
A member of the Defence Forces directs passengers arriving at Dublin Airport to a mandatory 12-day hotel quarantine. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Covid-19 mandatory hotel quarantine: who is in charge of policing it?
A Garda checkpoint in Dublin recently. Photograph: Collins Q&A: What are the new Covid travel rules and how will they work?
There has been mixed news on the vaccine front. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images Q&A: Everything you need to know about Level 5 lockdown
A pulse oximeter is placed on a person’s finger to measure the oxygen level in the blood. Photograph: iStock Covid-19: How to look after yourself if you catch the virus
A passenger wears a mask on a bus in Dublin city centre. Photograph: Alan Betson Living with Covid plan: What is in each of the five levels?
Gardaí at a high-visibility Covid-19 checkpoing on the Navan Road in Dublin in response to the tightening of Level 5 restrictions. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Extra measures to enforce Covid-19 restrictions announced by Garda
‘I truly believe a flu jab and a renewed zeal for hand washing and social distancing will make the winter ahead a bearable one.’ Photograph: iStock Have I got the flu or Covid-19? Could I have both?
Photo of a young boy being homeschooled by his mother in his bedroom ‘I worry about my child falling behind, but my own work is beginning to suffer’

Coronavirus - the Science

Hanwha Eagles players line up wearing face masks ahead of the opening game of South Korea’s new baseball season. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/Getty/AFP Coronavirus – the science: Big shift in thinking on face masks
Vaccines doses in bottles prepared by a team of experts at the University of Oxford. Photograph: Sean Elias/PA Wire Coronavirus – the science: The six milestones Ireland needs to reach before easing restrictions
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the US, said people should not assume a change in the weather will limit the spread of the coronavirus. ‘You must assume that the virus will continue to do its thing,’ he said. Photograph: Al Drago/The New York Times. Coronavirus – the science: The case for crushing Covid-19 rather than living with it

Editorials

The Irish Times view on antigen testing: A study in mixed messaging The Irish Times view on antigen testing: A study in mixed messaging

The Irish Times view on Covid-19 in Donegal: targeted measures The Irish Times view on Covid-19 in Donegal: targeted measures

Letters

Covid-19 – a national research biobank is urgently needed
Covid-19 and nursing homes
EU solidarity is essential
Coronavirus – a time for working together
Coronavirus – a time for concerted action
Constitution and homelessness crisis
Coronavirus and global solidarity
Coronavirus – focus on healthcare staff
Covid-19 in Gaza
Insurers and a national emergency
All Coronavirus Articles