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A medical worker takes a Covid swab sample from a local resident in Changchun, Jilin Province of China

China locks down 17m people as Covid hits two-year high

The southern Chinese tech hub Shenzhen was put under a citywide lockdown today, the local government announced, after it reported 66 new coronavirus cases and sealed off the central business district.

Coronavirus • 13 Mar 22

President Higgins will continue to work from his office at Áras an Uachtaráin (File image)

President Michael D Higgins tests positive for Covid-19

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina have tested positive for Covid-19 after taking an antigen test ahead of a scheduled visit to a school in Ballymun, Dublin.

Ireland • 04 Mar 22

The full rate of employer's PRSI will be reinstated from today

Wage support rates to be reduced further from today

Subsidy rates for the Government's Employee Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) are to be cut further from today.

Business • 01 Mar 22

Covid-19 continues to be a problem for businesses, InterTradeIreland found

Covid continues to challenge two thirds of firms

Two thirds of firms in the Republic of Ireland and the north say they continue to be concerned about the impact of Covid-19, a new survey from InterTradeIreland has found.

Business • 28 Feb 22

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said the country needed to rebuild its fiscal buffers and steer the public finances to 'a more balanced path'

Public debt per capita 'one of the world's highest'

The State took on an additional €33 billion in debt over the two years of the pandemic, according to a new report from the Department of Finance.

Business • 22 Feb 22

The British Prime Minister detailed the strategy for England to the House of Commons this afternoon

Legal isolation over Covid to end in England this week

People who test positive for coronavirus in England will no longer be legally required to isolate from Thursday, and free universal testing will end in April under Boris Johnson's plan for "living with Covid".

Coronavirus • 21 Feb 22

Masks are likely to remain in healthcare settings

NPHET recommends change to mask-wearing rules

The National Public Health Emergency Team has agreed that the requirement to wear masks in most areas, where currently regulated, should end.

Coronavirus • 17 Feb 22

As of 8am today, 643 Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospital, of whom 76 are in ICU

Covid: 3,975 PCR-confirmed cases, 4,478 antigen tests

The Department of Health has reported 3,975 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19. In addition, 4,478 people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal.

Coronavirus • 07 Feb 22

Today's figure is almost 43% down from the recent peak of 1,063 patients in hospital on 10 January

Covid-19: Number in hospital at lowest level this year

The number of people with Covid-19 in hospital has fallen to the lowest level this year.

Coronavirus • 03 Feb 22

Navy ships from Australia, New Zealand, the US, France and Britain have delivered aid including drinking water, medical supplies and engineering equipment to Tonga since last month's volcanic eruption

Eruption-hit Tonga enters lockdown after Covid detected

Tonga will go into Covid-19 lockdown tomorrow after the virus was detected in a fresh blow to the Pacific kingdom as it struggles to recover from last month's devastating volcanic eruption, officials said.

World • 01 Feb 22

The Explain study used the gas xenon to investigate possible lung damage in the patients who had not been admitted to hospital

Initial long Covid study finds abnormalities in lungs

A new pilot study has found abnormalities in the lungs of long Covid patients who had not experienced severe illness but experienced the symptom of breathlessness.

Coronavirus • 29 Jan 22

There's huge pent-up demand for holidays - with warnings that bookings in the peak season may see significant interest

Will looser Covid rules push up holiday prices?

The easing of Covid-19 restrictions has likely sparked thoughts of a long-awaited holiday in many minds, writes Adam Maguire, but people may need to brace themselves for higher prices this summer season.

Business • 23 Jan 22

Time to begin moving on with the pandemic in retreat

It is time to face the change and what a change is coming now with the speedy lifting of restrictions.

Analysis and Comment • 22 Jan 22

The banks of the Grand Canal in Sallins, Co Kildare

Longest locked-down county set for return to normality

Businesses in Kildare, the county that was locked down for longer than any other, are eagerly awaiting Friday's update on the lifting of restrictions, explains Conor McMorrow.

Prime Time • 21 Jan 22

Despite the awkward start, the pair began to develop feelings for each other, and have now decided to get engaged

Chinese couple trapped on lockdown date get engaged

A Chinese couple who were trapped on a never-ending date thanks to a coronavirus lockdown have been relieved to find that love, and not Covid-19, is in the air and have agreed to tie the knot.

Coronavirus • 19 Jan 22

Are Covid antiviral drugs a game changer?

claire byrne live • 13 Jan 22

New car supply chain problems coupled with Brexit are driving the price increases for used cars

Used car asking prices now 56% higher than pre-Covid

The rate at which the price of used cars is increasing has reached a new high, driven by the supply shortages caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit.

Business • 13 Jan 22

Micheál Martin said he expected case numbers to peak within a week or a fortnight

Cabinet expected to receive advice on close contacts

The Cabinet is expected to receive advice from public health experts on Wednesday that will examine the possibility of easing restrictions for close contacts.

Coronavirus • 10 Jan 22

The number one recommendation of the taskforce was the introduction of a basic income for the arts pilot scheme and €25m has been allotted to pilot this scheme this year

75% of Arts recommendations implemented, says Dept

Three-quarters of the recommendations made by the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce have been implemented, the Department of Arts and Culture has said.

COVID-19 • 04 Jan 22

Advice to people seeking a PCR test to confirm they have Covid-19 has changed

Christmas period sees more Covid cases than all of 2020

The Department of Health has reported 23,281 further cases of Covid-19, the highest daily figure to date, while more than 120,000 people have tested positive since Christmas Day.

Coronavirus • 02 Jan 22

JLL continued to trade profitably in 2021, with its directors 'confident about the future prospects of the business'

Profits at JLL's Irish arm fell by 62% last year

Operating profits at the Irish arm of commercial and residential property firm, Jones Lang Lasalle (JLL) last year declined by 62% to €1.974m.

Business • 29 Dec 21

Consumers were more pessimistic about the outlook for the economy and the jobs market (Pic RollingNews.ie)

Consumer and business mood slips in December - BoI

The mood among consumers and businesses has fallen this month over fears about the impact of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Business • 29 Dec 21

Profits at the group behind Costa Coffee Ireland more than halved in the year to the end of January

Revenues slump at Irish Costa, KFC franchise owner

Revenues at the group behind Costa Coffee Ireland and a string of KFC franchises here slumped by €48m last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Business • 29 Dec 21

Britain's health Minister Sajid Javid said no further measures will be announced for England before the New Year

No new restrictions for England before end of 2021

The British government will not introduce new Covid-19 restrictions for England before the end of 2021, its health minister Sajid Javid said today.

UK • 27 Dec 21

Dr Jenny Harries warned that it was too early to downgrade the threat from the new variant

'Glimmer of hope' in new data on Omicron severity

New data which suggested that Omicron may be less likely to lead to serious illness than the Delta variant offers a "glimmer of Christmas hope", a senior UK health official has said.

Coronavirus • 24 Dec 21