NPHET is urging the use of face masks in primary schools, and hospital visitors are to be required to show Covid certs from Monday, amid growing concerns over the number of pandemic-absent HSE staff and the emergence of a new strain of the virus. Our Andy talked about the face coverings on RTÉ's Drivetime yesterday.

Meanwhile, a study by the Left Group of MEPs reckons Ireland could hoover up €4 billion through a pandemic windfall tax on multinationals.

The settlement of Ryanair's €13 million-plus legal action against Fórsa is covered in the Times, Examiner and a number of local titles. That story also appeared in the Times and Indo yesterday.

And we learn that over 12% of employees were absent from work in the third quarter of 2021.  

Elsewhere, we're heading into stormy weather as a new campaign aims to get more women elected to local councils, the education department is spending millions on paper pay-slips, and we could be in for a long Saint Patrick's break next March.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day in the US of A. I don't know why that always puts me in mind of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's American Girl. But it does. They played it on the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test in 1978, the only year I ever saw the great band live.

That's yer Zen, and the weekend's coming.

Bernard