Stephen Collins, motorbike rider volunteers with Bravo Tango Charlie, a Covid- 19 emergency kit service which is delivering PPE and other essential goods to hospitals, nursing homes and other care settings across the country. Photo: Moya Nolan

The country's largest teachers' union says primary school children might have to wear personal protective equipment when they go back to class.

Two meat processing plants have now confirmed that some staff members have tested positive for Covid-19.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness... it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair …”

The government has instructed the HSE to look at a standard way of telling families when a Covid-19 outbreak hits a residential service for people with intellectual disabilities.

Some of China's largest cities have donated 40,000 face masks to Cork hospitals thanks to an almost 20-year twinning link.

Ten thousand face masks have been sent to Cork by the Minzu University of China (MUC) in Beijing - a partner university to University College Cork (UCC).

Chinese alumni of UCC donate toward purchase of PPE for Cork University Hospital

Dedicated to fighting the spread of Covid-19 in Cork University Hospital, Fiona Grant has taken only one day off in the last four weeks. “I’m exhausted but it’s for a good cause,” says the housekeeping worker, who has been coming in on her days off.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said that the 20% of personal protective equipment (PPE) received from China that is not suitable will be corrected in further deliveries due later this week.

She wants to bring manufacturers, innovators, scientists, academics and businesses together to provide PPE for frontline healthcare staff.

As the Covid-19 death toll here continues to grow, doctors fighting the pandemic are demanding a clear timeline as to when those on the frontlines will no longer be put at risk from the use of substandard personal protective equipment (PPE).

Concerns raised over standard of PPE available to healthcare staff.

Health Minister Simon Harris said it will take some pressure off doctors and will limit the requirement of patients to visit their GP.