The biggest stories of the morning.
At Home: Dr. Tony Holohan’s warning to parents as schools re-open
Dr. Tony Holohan has urged parents to be cautious as cases continue to rise in the 5-12 cohort.
Schools are set to re-open today after the Halloween midterm break.
Dr. Holohan told parents to continue adhering to the Covid-19 guidelines.
“As parents and guardians, you are playing an essential role in driving down COVID-19 infection in our communities.
“Please continue to observe the public health advice at home and at school drop off and pick up and remember to keep a safe 2m distance from other parents or guardians at these busy times.”
He added, “I want to thank parents and guardians, grandparents, teachers, schools, and of course, schoolchildren themselves, for continuing to work with us to limit the spread of COVID-19 and to keep driving down incidence of infection.”
New Bank Holiday ‘may just be a one-off’
The new bank holiday to thank frontline workers ‘may just be a one-off’.
According to The Irish Independent, the public holiday, which will fall on January 31st, may not be an annual event.
The new bank holiday will tie in with St. Bridgid’s Day on February 1st.
However, employer groups are unsure about the introduction of a new permanent bank holiday.
An Taoiseach stressed that a final decision has yet to be made.
Emergency services report a quieter Halloween than usual
Emergency services confirmed this Halloween was quieter than 2020.
Dublin Fire Brigade said it responded to a total of 131 calls. 89 of those were bonfire-related.
There was a 60% reduction in calls compared to last year’s 298 callouts.
A huge bonfire was extinguished in Crumlin last night.
Ambulance callouts increased this year with a total of 401. It is believed this is due to the fact Ireland was in a lockdown last Halloween.
Emergency services confirmed only one person was seriously injured by a firework.
It is believed the bad weather and seizure of bonfire materials helped reduce callouts this Halloween.
Working closely with Gardaí, a large bonfire was extinguished and removed in Crumlin tonight.
While we wanted everyone to enjoy their #Halloween celebrations, if a fire was dangerous we would intervene to extinguish it.
This Halloween Stay Safe & Sound #SafeAtSamhain pic.twitter.com/toKqwtJhsS
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) October 31, 2021
World: Amy Fitzpatrick disappearance case suspended in Spain
The disappearance of Irish teenager Amy Fitzpatrick has been suspended in Spain.
Police said the case has come to a standstill after new information emerged. It is believed this information may help in the probe.
Amy’s family is devastated by the news.
“We are completely shocked that the investigation has been suspended. This is the first we have heard of this.
“We believe the Spanish police have more than enough information to go on and it is just not good enough. We have constantly passed new information to them as we got it.
“The Irish Government has done little or nothing to help us or Amy and is sitting back and doing nothing,” her aunt told The Irish Mirror.
Celebrity: Alec Baldwin speaks out about the death of ‘friend’ Halyna Hutchins
Alec Baldwin has spoken out about the death of his ‘friend’ Halyna Hutchins.
The actor was speaking to reporters after they followed him and his family’s car.
Baldwin said, “She was my friend. The day I arrived in Santa Fe and started shooting I took her to dinner with Joel.”
“We were a very, very well-oiled crew shooting a film together and then this horrible event happened.”
Baldwin said what happened to Hutchins was a ‘one in a trillion’ incident.
The actor stressed that the investigation is ongoing and he is cooperating with the police.
