On:
In: COVID-19, Health

Federal prosecutors charged 14 people in multiple fraud schemes that allegedly bilked consumers and insurers out of $143 million, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. In addition to those charged by DOJ, more than 50 medical providers are also facing administrative actions by the Center for Program Integrity and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for their involvement in health care fraud schemes relating to Covid-19. The DOJ’s Fraud Section, which leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, announced it is prosecuting cases in the following districts: Western District of Arkansas, Northern District of California, Middle District of Louisiana, Central District of California, Southern District of Florida, District of New Jersey and the Eastern District of New York. “These medical professionals,Continue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19

A SPATE of 12 mass shootings left at least 11 people dead and 69 others injured over the weekend as gun violence continues to skyrocket across the US. There were at least a dozen mass shootings between Friday night and Sunday across eight different states, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA). 10tv A spate of 12 mass shootings happened across the US this weekend. One incident in Columbus, Ohio (above) left a 16-year-old dead[/caption] The above map details all of this weekend’s mass shootings The violence erupted in Illinois, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Texas, and Minnesota. A mass shooting is defined by GVA as an incident in which four or more people are woundedContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19, Politics

The Health Service Executive has shut down all its IT systems to protect them from a “significant” ransomware attack, crippling diagnostic services, disrupting Covid-19 testing and forcing hospitals to cancel many appointments. The Covid-19 vaccination programme is not disrupted as it is on a different system, but the attack is affecting IT systems serving all other local and national health provision, HSE chief Paul Reid said. Minister of State for Communications Ossian Smyth said the cyberattack was not espionage but was led by an international criminal gang looking for money. He described it as “possibly the most significant cybercrime attack on the Irish State.” What we know so far The attack began at about 4.30am on Friday and health service ITContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19, Politics

The Cabinet is set to consider a plan for a reopening of social and economic life over the next two months following lengthy talks between health chiefs and the leaders of the coalition parties which ran late into last night. The plan is based on the acceleration of the vaccination programme and Covid-19 cases remaining low. It includes greater freedoms for vaccinated people, a relaxation of restrictions on outdoor gatherings, and the reopening of personal services and outdoor hospitality. May 10th will see hairdressers and personal services reopening while the ban on intercounty travel will also be lifted, according to The Irish Times. Meanwhile, constructions will return on Tuesday. Non-essential retail including click and collect will return on May 10thContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19, Politics

One million people have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. “Just been informed by HSE that we’ve reached 1 Million first doses of the Covid Vaccine. Great work by all the vaccination teams and GPs across the country,” Mr Martin tweeted on Sunday evening. The latest figures released by the HSE show about 400,000 people are now fully vaccinated in the Republic. In the North, more than 900,000 people had received their first jab by April 24th, while 340,000 are fully vaccinated. Vaccinations have been extended to people aged 35-39 in Northern Ireland. The update means that about 25 per cent of the Republic’s adult population (aged 18 and over) has received at least oneContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19, Politics

There will continue to be a “nervousness” about autumn and winter with a seasonality attached to Covid-19, Micheál Martin has said. The Taoiseach made the comment as he said it was likely that spectators would return to sporting events in Ireland this year. Once restrictions are eased and sectors reopen the Government wants to ensure they remain open, Mr Martin said. “I can see spectators coming back at some stage, in what numbers I’m not precise about,” Mr Martin told Newstalk FM’s The Hard Shoulder programme. “I think vaccination has to happen to a very significant degree and there will be a valuation of the vaccination programme.” His comments come as Dublin was stood down as a host city forContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19

The Tánaiste is “not as confident” about the pace of Ireland’s reopening as he was some days ago. Leo Varadkar told an online event hosted by Goodbody Stockbrokers that there was some concern in Government that Covid-19 cases could rise in the coming days. The Irish Times reports that Mr Varadkar said he was “not as confident as I might have been a few days ago” about the pace of reopening, ahead of the confirmation of 401 further cases and 15 deaths on Wednesday. The Fine Gael leader said it was likely to be “June-July at this stage” before a further reopening of hospitality and indoor gatherings was allowed. The “experience of December-January” made Government “more risk-averse” on reopening, heContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19, Politics

Voters in the South Hams district can now cast their vote in the County Council elections for a new political party that wants to end the lockdowns, protect medical freedom of choice and protect our human rights and liberties. The new Freedom Alliance political party is fielding candidates in all seven of the divisions in South Hams. There are 20 candidates in all standing in Devon, from Seaton to Hartland and from Combe Martin to Salcombe. Dr Stephen Hopwood is a local party spokesman and a doctor of medicine who has worked in Totnes as a holistic practitioner for 25 years. He said: “These are unprecedented times and we aim to show that we are indeed a viable force toContinue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19

An international system to recognise vaccine certification will be needed to facilitate the return of travel and remove mandatory quarantine, public health chiefs have said. The issue is currently being examined at European Union level and by the Irish Government with a view to international travel resuming at some point in the summer. Nphet’s Professor Philip Nolan said he is hopeful of a return to international travel as the vaccine rollout ramps up across Europe, but that a coordinated approach will be needed. It comes after reports that an Israeli healthcare worker was forced to enter mandatory hotel quarantine despite being fully vaccinated and having a negative test. Asked why fully vaccinated people would have to quarantine, Prof Nolan said:Continue Reading

On:
In: COVID-19

Fully vaccinated people will no longer have to restrict their movements after being identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 case, under new proposals which the National Public Health Emergency Team will consider on Thursday. According to The Irish Times, Nphet will also consider proposals to relax the mask-wearing requirement for vaccinated people as part of a greater “vaccine bonus” for those who have the protection provided by full immunisation for at least two weeks. This will in turn relieve pressure on the contact tracing system and allow more resources to be placed on high-risk cases. It was announced last week that the Government would move to allow two fully vaccinated people to meet indoors or outdoors. Under theContinue Reading