Yesterday’s announcement that Aer Lingus is to place 129 staff members at Shannon on temporary unpaid lay-off  is broadly covered. You can see more here, here, and here. Fórsa said that the announcement is devastating for the staff and for the region.

The Minister for Justice is expected to seek Government approval today to extend an existing ban on visa-free travel from South Africa and most South American countries due to the threat posed by Covid-19 variants.

RTÉ reports on the issues employers face if employees refuse the vaccine. 

Emeritus Professor of Equality Studies at UCD Kathleen Lynch has said that the Covid-19 pandemic will compound economic inequality across Irish society as frontline groups report rising poverty levels before and during the public health crisis. Read more on that here.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on mental health “has not been counted yet” but will have an effect “for many years to come”, the World Health Organisation’s Dr Mike Ryan has said

There have been almost one million fewer public hospital appointments as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic according to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association.

The Labour Party is bringing forward a bill which would see workers offered up to 20 days paid leave where they suffer an early miscarriage or are seeking reproductive treatments, including IVF.

And finally, a mental health webinar for members which will focus on building resilience will take place this Thursday. See here for more information.

A leaping dolphin brings us our zen this morning. The footage, which was captured in Galway Bay over the weekend, initially gave hope that Fungi was still alive. Although most unlikely, it's still a spectacular watch.

Have a good day folks.