MAIA IN EXIT McCARTHY RACHEL ALLEN LIVING IN DUNPHY SOCCER BOSS GIVES TASTY SPRING LIFE Lost loves and insecurity WAY TO KENNY SPORT LAMB RECIPES SuVol. 115 No. 14 5 April 2020ndayIndependecity final ¤3.50nt (£2.10 in Northern Ireland)

FAREWELL: Funeral director Robert Maguire at Mount Jerome, Dublin, where Covid-19 victim John Gallagher was laid to rest on Thursday. Photo: David Conachy SEE PAGE 10 A nation changed utterly

÷ New measures on way as Holohan urges public to flatten Covid-19 curve more

Maeve Sheehan, rus infection in 40 facilities, Philip Ryan and Health Minister Simon Harris Wayne O’Connor CLUSTERS & CONTAGION announced a €72m bailout for Maeve Sheehan — PAGES 4-5 private nursing homes. THE health authorities are Private nursing home op- set to unveil a range of new erators: measures to tackle the Cov- leader Alan Kelly, who will will be posted to the first of 40 n Will be paid €800 extra per id-19 crisis as latest figures be asked to join government community assessment centres month for every resident they revealed another significant formation talks this week, also which are scheduled to open have on the Fair Deal scheme rise in the numbers who have said: “Ireland has changed across the country for patients up to 40 residents, under the contracted the coronavirus utterly in the last eight weeks who have or are assumed to terms of the package; and lost their lives. with the spread of Covid-19.” have the virus. n Will be paid €400 per month At the end of a tense week While Mr Kelly indicated They will refer sick patients for the next 40 and €200 for during which the death toll that Labour was open to talks to hospital, to self-isolate at any thereafter; began to mount in double-digit and would play a constructive home, or to one of the self-iso- n Can claim up to €75,000 for numbers, a further 17 peo- role, the country’s chief med- lation accommodation centres extra expenses incurred from ple died yesterday and there ical officer, Dr Tony Holohan provided by the Government, introducing new measures were 331 confirmed new cases, warned that people needed to such as Citywest. to protect residents from the bringing the total to 137 deaths redouble their efforts to beat GPs will operate the com- coronavirus but they will have and 4,604 cases. the virus. munity hubs on a voluntary to present a business case to But with the authorities “It has been a truly nation- basis, but it is understood that the Department of Health. warning that the crisis has not wide effort to stop the spread their practices will receive a Mr Harris also announced peaked and may not do so for of this virus and to protect the support grant equivalent to a series of new public health another two weeks, there is vulnerable. We need to keep €120 an hour. measures aimed at limiting also a growing awareness this it going. We need to flatten The measures are being the spread of the virus between weekend that Ireland is under- the curve even more than we ramped up to coincide with nursing home residents and going a fundamental change, have,” he said. expectations that the corona- staff. such has been the profound The Government is deploy- virus will peak in mid-April, Meanwhile, efforts to impact of the crisis. ing GPs to the frontline in the as announced by the Health resolve the Covid-19 test back- Political leaders yesterday war on Covid-19 following Service Executive’s chief oper- log continue. A rapid test kit issued statements of encour- a grim week in which the ations officer, Anne O’Connor, that tests for Covid-19 anti- agement to the public, from the death toll from the pandemic last week. bodies and provides results to the Fianna Fail doubled. As concern mounts over the leader — and the new Labour From this week, doctors growing clusters of coronavi- Continued on page 5

BRENDAN O’CONNOR So. Tony Holohan is unwell

ND we thought we the virus. We are still unsure , a more issues like financial crashes, had problems before. exactly what Tony Holohan sciency version of Tony. And climate Armageddon and A But then something said, but it was something the others. People who start global pandemics, was put comes along and puts it all about feeling a bit funny. every answer, no matter on the Tony story. And then, in perspective. Lip readers and historians what the question, by saying on Thursday morning, Most of us did not witness will pore over this footage in the one-word sentence Elizabeth Canavan, the civil live the moment when times to come, when all this “So”. The “So” they all use servant who apparently runs Tony Holohan “clutched is over. conveys so much. It conveys: the country now with Tony, his chest” at last Tuesday When they announced “That’s a stupid question told us that the CMO was evening’s coronavirus Tony had gone in for tests, but I will humour you by back at his desk. We were briefing. Indeed some would a million pieces of varying pretending to answer it, relieved, but this wasn’t argue that he didn’t exactly qualities of homemade but by actually saying what enough. Habeas corpus, clutch his chest, more put banana bread paused I was going to say anyway. we demanded. Produce the his hand gently to it. The mid-air between plate and And I will finish up by telling body. And sure enough, there footage from the live-stream mouth. And that was only you that everyone needs to was Tony at the briefing was subsequently shared the people who are still keep washing their hands.” that evening. Balance was more than a message on bothering to use a plate. It conveys also: “Why have restored. And what’s more, WhatsApp from a cousin A chill went through the you asked me again when Tony didn’t make it about of my brother’s friend who nation. this is going to be over? I’m him, he turned it into a is a doctor at Harvard who We know there are many not going to be able to give learning experience, telling swears that drinking your other experts working with you an accurate answer and us how the hospital he went own wee will save you from Tony Holohan. There’s no matter how many times to had been empty, and you ask, you are not going to encouraging us all to go to Recommended retail price of the Sunday Independent in R.O.I is €3.50 get the answer you want to hospital if we didn’t feel well. Vol. 115 No. 14 S1 hear.” And then we wondered. Had And we have come to Tony actually felt funny at accept all these “So” people all? Or was it just a piece of as part of our lives now. educational theatre to get But Tony is the face of the people to get themselves operation. George Lee, checked out. That Tony! who reports only on major So.