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18^th August, 2021: A free ‘walk-in and online self-referral’ COVID-19 testing site at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, Market Road, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan, H18 VK77 will open for 2 days on Friday, August 20^th and Saturday, August 21^st, as COVID-19 cases remain high in Monaghan.

Opening hours are:

Friday, August 20^th              10am – 6pm

Saturday, August 21^st         10am – 6pm

People have the option to book an appointment online for a free COVID-19 test on the HSE online self-referral portal: https://covid19test.healthservice.ie/hse-self-referral/, or attend the pop-up test centre in Monaghan Town without an appointment and wait for a COVID-19 test. The online booking facility for the pop-up COVID-19 test centre in Monaghan Town helps to manage the numbers of people attending for a test at any time and minimises the length of time people may have to wait for their test.

The free ‘pop-up’ COVID-19 test centre in Monaghan Town is open to members of the public of any age. Members of the public will need to bring a photo ID and provide a mobile phone number in order to provide test results.

The Department of Public Health, HSE North East have seen the number of COVID-19 cases in Monaghan remain high in recent weeks and in particular in the Monaghan and Ballybay-Clones Local Electoral Areas (LEAs).

The latest figures, covering the 14 day incidence during 27/07/2021 to 09/08/2021, reported the electoral areas in Monaghan LEA with an incidence rate of 868 cases per 100,000 of population and Ballybay-Clones with an incidence rate of 712.8 cases per 100,000 of population. This compares to a national incidence rate of 422.5/100,000 of population.

Dr Keith Ian Quintyne, Director of Public Health (Acting) with the Department of Public Health, HSE North East, said: “Two of our LEAs – Monaghan and Ballybay-Clones are amongst the top 15 LEAs (out of 166 LEAs) for 14 day incidence per 100,000 population. The incidence rate in the Monaghan LEA is double the national rate. With the current high incidence rates in the Monaghan area, social gatherings outside Public Health guidelines are having significant knock-on effects in the community, including in workplaces.”

“We are hopeful we will break the chains of transmission in the community with the help of the public availing of the walk-in and self-referral test centre in Monaghan Town and adhering to Public Health guidelines.”

“I would like to appeal to everyone, even if you are vaccinated to continue following Public Health guidelines. Please don’t drop your guard, people in all age groups are at risk of becoming seriously ill due to COVID-19.  If you have any cold or flu symptoms, please access a free COVID-19 test and self-isolate.”

Dr Quintyne added: “I would appeal to the age cohorts who can register on the vaccination portal – please take up the opportunity of getting vaccinated.”

Gerry Clerkin, Acting Chief Officer Community Healthcare Organisation Area 1 (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo) said: “The rollout of vaccines is key in protecting people against COVID-19. Testing and, in particular, walk-in test centres remains an important part of the HSE’s response to COVID-19. I would urge people in the Ballybay-Clones and Monaghan electoral areas in particular to avail of the pop up testing facility at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town. Availing of COVID-19 testing, even when you don’t have symptoms, helps us to stop further spread of COVID-19 and protects our communities. Testing at the pop-up centre at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town is safe, fast and accessible and, more importantly, you can protect those around you by taking the necessary public health measures if you receive a positive COVID-19 test result.”

Deputy Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council, Paul Clifford said: “COVID-19 is still with us, and the recent spike in case numbers in Monaghan must act as a warning. We all have to take personal responsibility. We must still remain vigilant and continue to follow the public health guidelines. COVID-19 testing is continuing in Monaghan Town this weekend, with no appointment needed for those attending the pop-up test centre at the St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town. I would encourage anyone who feels that they may need a test to avail of this free service.”

Up to date information on the location and opening days and times of COVID-19 walk-in test centres is available at COVID-19 walk-in test centres: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/covid-19-walk-in-test-centres.html

National Heritage Week 2021

Sting is back for part 2 of his Heritage trip around County Monaghan

Please click the link below for “A Bees Eye View of Monaghan”

Can you identify all the places Sting visits

When you have watched all 3 videos please email your answers to smcquaid@monaghancoco.ie

Good luck and enjoy!!

Sting the Bee has been out and about in Monaghan and has created a special programme for all you boys and girls to celebrate Heritage Week 2021

Can you guess where Sting is, listen carefully for all the clues??

You must watch all 3 videos throughout the week to find all the places.

Please email your answers to smcquaid@monaghancoco.ie to be in with a chance of winning a prize

Closing date is Sunday 22nd August at 5pm.

Good luck everyone!!

 

For National Heritage Week, Monaghan County Council Heritage Office has recorded a series of podcasts, called Heritage at the Heart.  Releasing every few days, the five episodes cover Holy Wells, hedgerows, placenames, historic headstones and market houses.  You will hear local heritage experts and custodians visit these places with the Heritage Officer, in these lively and informative treats for your ears.  Funded by the Heritage Council and Monaghan. Each podcast is about 15 minutes in length and accompanied with specially commissioned music by distinguished Monaghan composer Michael Gallen.  The series is available on spotify, apple podcasts, google podcasts and soundcloud as well as links from the Monaghan County Council website.

Latest episode:

soundcloud.com/user-863246840-166004139/the-puzzle-of-placenames

The Puzzle of Placenames

Shirley Clerkin is joined in Clones by heritage enthusiasts James Sheerin and Larry McDermott to tease out some placename meanings from Clones and elsewhere, and the heritage of the land that can be gleaned by diving into an exploration of what places are called.

Music – Landmark and The Seed in March by Michael Gallen

Recording and editing – Noel Murphy.

Funding – Podcast is funded by the Heritage Council and Monaghan County Council.

The Monaghan Wetland Network is launching during National Heritage Week, to showcase the importance of wetlands for nature, climate and people.

The purpose of the Monaghan Wetland Network is to safeguard our wetlands through conservation and nature enhancement measures, promoting their biodiversity, cultural, health benefits and values, sharing our experiences and building capacity to protect our wonderful wetland heritage.

Funding is also being made available through Monaghan County Council, via the Monaghan Wetland Action Plan Fund to carry out actions at a Wetland Network sites. The aim of the fund is to incentivise community groups and individual landowners to take positive actions for wetland sites as part of the Monaghan Wetlands Action Plan.  The fund is modest, but it is planned to grow this in subsequent years as the network develops.

The Heritage Office of Monaghan County Council invites people, community groups and landowners to join the County Monaghan Wetland Network.  The Heritage Officer Shirley Clerkin said “We are in a climate and biodiversity crisis, and we need our wetlands as part of a resilient nature to help buffer some of the negative impacts of these changes.  We also need to build understanding and skills about nature and wetlands in the county.  Our recent attitudes study found that 87% of respondents were interested in conserving wetlands.  This network is a response to this need.”

This network is part of the County Monaghan Wetland Action Plan, which is developing a plan to protect, enhance, conserve, and advocate for the biodiversity and heritage of Monaghan’s wetlands.  Monaghan County Council Heritage Office is working alongside Wetlands Surveys Ireland to develop the plan, and a web app to make it easy to identify wetland sites.

How to join the County Monaghan Wetland Network? … you can find out more  and download a booklet on the scheme on the County Monaghan Heritage website by following this link: bit.ly/MonaghanWetlandNetwork

This project is being funded by Monaghan County Council Heritage Office (monaghan.ie/heritage) and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage under the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

Monaghan Wetlands Booklet (PDF)

Friday, 13 August 2021 – Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Irish Water and Monaghan County Council can confirm that the Do Not Consume Notice impacting customers supplied by Newbliss Public Water Supply has been lifted with immediate effect and the water is safe to drink. The notice was issued to protect over 400 customers following elevated levels of manganese and iron in the water supply.

Peter Gallagher, Regional Operations Lead with Irish Water said: “Following the completion of remedial measures and the receipt of satisfactory monitoring results, the Do Not Consume Notice which has been in place is now lifted with immediate effect. We, along with our colleagues in Monaghan County Council liaised with the Health Service Executive throughout this process and public health was our priority throughout. We are pleased to be in a position to lift the notice today.”

All consumers on the Newbliss Public Water Supply can now resume normal use of the water supply for drinking, food preparation and brushing teeth.

Irish Water and the Local Authority/Health Service Executive Water Liaison Group will continue to meet and will review ongoing process control, monitoring and testing of the drinking water supply.

If customers have any queries regarding this Do Not Consume Notice and the lifting of it they should contact Irish Water directly on our customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278.

Irish Water continues to work at this time with our Local Authority partners, contractors and others to safeguard the health and well-being of both staff and the public and to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services. Irish Water would like to remind people to follow the HSE COVID-19 advice and ensure frequent handwashing.

Sting the Bee
Introducing a new series especially for Heritage Week 2021 “A Bees Eye View of Monaghan”

Can you guess where Sting is?
Sting will be visiting 12 Heritage Sites in Co Monaghan. There will be 3 videos released throughout the week
Please email your answers to smcquaid@monaghancoco.ie
We will put all the correct answers into a draw for vouchers for Sliabh Beagh Adventure Centre

Good luck and enjoy your Heritage trip around Monaghan

A free ‘walk-in and online self-referral’ COVID-19 testing site at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, Market Road, Monaghan Town, Co. Monaghan, H18 VK77 will open for 2 days on Saturday, August 14^th and Sunday, August 15^th.

Opening hours are:

Saturday, August 14^th        10am – 6pm

Sunday, August 15^th          10am – 6pm

People will have the option to book an appointment online for a free COVID-19 test on the HSE online self-referral portal: https://covid19test.healthservice.ie/hse-self-referral/, or attend the pop-up test centre in Monaghan Town without an appointment and wait for a COVID-19 test.

The addition of the online booking facility for the pop-up COVID-19 test centre in Monaghan helps to manage the numbers of people attending for a test at any time and minimises the length of time people may have to wait for their test.

The free ‘pop-up’ COVID-19 test centre in Monaghan Town is open to members of the public of any age. The centre is being set up due to an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the younger population in Monaghan in recent weeks. This includes a number of small clusters of cases with house gatherings as the main contributor.

Members of the public will need to bring a photo ID and provide a mobile phone number in order to provide test results.

The temporary walk-in COVID-19 test centre is an operation led by HSE Public Health Department North East, Community Healthcare Organisation Area 1 and the National Ambulance Service to identify cases of COVID-19 and reduce further transmission in the community.

Dr Augustine Pereira, Director of Public Health North East, said: “With a rate of 667.9/100000 which is double the national incidence rate, Monaghan is the county with the second highest rate in the county. I am encouraging people in Monaghan to avail of a free COVID-19 test at the pop-up test centre at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town on Saturday and Sunday this weekend. The online advance booking system helps make COVID-19 testing more available and accessible, and those seeking a COVID-19 test can choose to book a test online and schedule it at a time that suits you.”

”Testing is crucial to prevent and control outbreaks and it is possible to be positive with COVID-19 but not have any symptoms. By taking a COVID-19 test when you don’t have symptoms, you will help to stop the spread of the virus, protect other people and save lives. Your support and commitment is vital in ensuring that we suppress the spread of this virus in our community.”

“We cannot let our guard down now. It is really important that we continue to follow public health advice in particular to avoid crowds, limit contacts, wear a mask, wash hands frequently and work from home where possible. This includes people who are fully vaccinated and those waiting for their second dose of the vaccine.”

“If you experience symptoms of COVID-19, please isolate and seek a free PCR test as soon as possible. Common COVID-19 symptoms of the Delta variant that is the circulating strain now also include a sore throat, runny nose or headaches. It is important for people with mild symptoms to also seek a free test.”

Dr Pereira added: “I would also like to urge you to avail of the COVID-19 vaccine, the registration portal opens tomorrow for children aged 12-15 years old. The more of us who are vaccinated, the more protection there will be for us all. More than 300 people received a COVID-19 vaccine last weekend at the walk-in vaccination clinic at the Glencarn Hotel in Castleblayney, Co. Monaghan and many more through the appointment system. Vaccination protects our communities and prevents serious infections needing hospitalisations, so get vaccinated now.”

John Hayes, Chief Officer Community Healthcare Organisation, Area 1 (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan & Sligo) said: “Walk-in test centres remain an important part of the HSE’s response to COVID-19. It has proven to be quite successful in detecting and containing cases of the infection. I would urge people of the Monaghan area to attend for a test which is quick and convenient. Availing of COVID-19 testing, even when you don’t have symptoms, helps to stop the further spread of COVID-19 and protects our communities. I would like to thank the administration team and National Ambulance Service for their support in setting up the temporary testing centre at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre in Monaghan Town.”

Paul Clifford, Deputy Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council is encouraging the people of Monaghan to use the pop-up testing facility.

“We would encourage anyone in the Monaghan and surrounding areas to take up this opportunity for free testing as it will help contain the spread of COVID-19. I want to thank everyone in Monaghan for playing their part and would urge you to continue to follow public health advice and adhere to the government guidelines. We are also urging businesses to encourage their staff to avail of this test centre, which is located at St. Joseph’s Pastoral Centre, Monaghan (H18 VK77).”

Up to date information on the location and opening days and times of COVID-19 walk-in test centres is available at COVID-19 walk-in test centres: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/covid-19-walk-in-test-centres.html

11^th August, 2021: The Department of Public Health North East, Monaghan GAA and Monaghan County Council are appealing to people in Monaghan to continue to follow public health advice due to concerns over an increase in COVID-19 cases in Monaghan in recent weeks.

The Department of Public Health North East have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Monaghan Local Electoral Area (LEA) in recent weeks.

The latest figures, covering the 14 day incidence during 20/07/2021 to 02/08/2021, reported the Monaghan LEA with an incidence rate of 625.7 cases per 100,000 of population. This compares to a national incidence rate of 372.6/100,000 of population. The incidence rate in Monaghan LEA is almost double the national rate.

Dr Augustine Pereira, Director of Public Health North East, said: “The current situation in Monaghan is concerning, as case numbers are increasing rapidly. The high incidence rates we are seeing in Monaghan reflects how serious the situation can become in a matter of days and weeks. We have not seen this level of infection since early February, which is a worrying trend and shows that this virus is prevalent in our communities.”

“We are appealing to teenagers and those in their twenties and thirties in particular to reduce their social contacts and to avoid attending house gatherings. The 15-24 year age group accounted for 40% of cases in Monaghan last week. This is why we are urging everyone even those who are fully vaccinated to be extra vigilant, act responsibly, and adhere to public health guidelines.”

“Thanks to the extraordinary vaccination programme, we are making great progress. I would appeal to the age cohorts who can register on the vaccination portal – please take up the opportunity of getting vaccinated. We would like to see much higher vaccination rates in Monaghan to provide that ‘protective wall’ against COVID-19 taking hold of our communities. We ask if you are not yet vaccinated, to please continue to manage your contacts, meet outdoors, avoid crowded settings and not to socialise indoors as you await your vaccine.”

Dr Pereira added: “If you have symptoms or are concerned that you have been exposed to COVID-19, please isolate and seek a free PCR test. It is important for people with mild symptoms to seek a free test. If you are not yet fully vaccinated and a close contact of a person that has tested positive for COVID-19, you need to isolate and get a free PCR test.”

Monaghan GAA Chairperson, Declan Flanagan, said: “Monaghan is once more experiencing a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases. As a community the people of Monaghan must work together to ensure that this virus does not take hold and shut down society. We have been through so much over the past 16 months and now is the time to come together and work as a team to beat this latest spike in cases. I would urge everybody to follow the public health advice and also, I would urge everybody to apply and avail of the COVID-19 vaccine.”

Paul Clifford, Deputy Chief Executive of Monaghan County Council is encouraging the people of Monaghan to follow all public health advice and stay safe.

“I want to particularly appeal to young people, we need you to keep up with adhering to public health advice. We know it’s hard, but it is helping to keep our communities safe. The people of Monaghan have shown on numerous occasions how a county with high incidence rates of COVID-19 can bring infection numbers to single-figure digits when communities band together by adhering to public health advice. Close collaboration between the HSE and Monaghan County Council will continue and be strengthened in the coming days and weeks to address the concerning trend in case numbers in Monaghan.”

*This is provisional data and is subject to change due to validation

Friday, 6 August 2021 – Irish Water and Monaghan County Council would like to remind customers supplied by Newbliss Public Water Supply Scheme that the Do Not Consume Notice remains in place until further notice.

Following consultation with the Health Service Executive (HSE), Irish Water and Monaghan County Council issued a Do Not Consume Notice for all consumers on the Newbliss Public Water Supply Scheme due to elevated levels of manganese and iron. The Do Not Consume Notice remains in place pending the completion of remedial works and receipt of satisfactory monitoring results. The notice applies to over 400 customers supplied by the Newbliss Public Water Supply Scheme.

It is especially important that mains drinking water is not given to bottle fed infants.

Please note this is not a Boil Water Notice. Boiling the water will not reduce manganese and iron levels and is therefore not a suitable measure to make the water safe to consume. This notice does not apply to other areas and water schemes in Monaghan.

Tankered water will be in place on Main Street, Newbliss to provide an alternative water supply to customers. Customers are reminded to use their own containers when taking water from the tanker and to boil water before consumption as a precautionary measure.

Irish Water drink

ing water compliance and operational experts are working with colleagues in Monaghan County Council to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

Speaking about the imposition of the notice, Peter Gallagher, Regional Operations Lead with Irish Water said “Irish Water is aware of the impact a Do Not Consume Notice is having on the community of Newbliss and would like to reassure impacted customers that we are working hard to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. We would ask customers who have concerns to contact our customer care team on 1800 278 278.”

This water should not be used for:

• Drinking
• Drinks made with water
• Food preparation, washing or cooking of food
• Brushing of teeth
• Making of ice
• Children under 12 months old should not drink this water
• This water should not be used for making up infant formula for bottled fed infants. An alternative source of water should be used. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as ‘Natural Mineral Water’ as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. ‘Natural Mineral Water’ can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated.
• If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way
• Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used
• Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink
• Caution should be taken when bathing infants to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water
• Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges

This water can be used for:

• Personal hygiene, bathing, flushing toilets, laundry and washing of utensils
• Irish Water and Monaghan County Council will continue to liaise with the Health Service Executive with a view to lifting this drinking water restriction as soon as practicable.

Updates will be available on our Water Supply Updates section, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.