According to new official guidance, all schools will be required to have designated isolation areas for any staff or pupils with symptoms of Covid-19. That story is in the Irish Times, and education correspondent Carl O’Brien includes Fórsa’s warning that the absence of detailed guidance was deterring many schools and staff from opting in to the summer programme, included in this statement issued yesterday. That story is also carried in the Irish Examiner and The Journal.

Elsewhere, it’s reported that the union has advised SNAs that it’s not safe for them to engage in the summer provision programme for children with complex needs.

In aviation news, Barry O’Halloran reports in the Irish Times that CityJet CEO Pat Byrne has dismissed “inaccurate and misleading claims by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) that Cityjet was ‘offshoring’ jobs.” The pilots took part in a protest yesterday at the airline’s offices in Swords. They feature in RTE’s report about the overall situation in the aviation industry, with our own Johnny Fox commenting on developments in Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). You can watch that full report by Will Goodbody here.

Also in the Irish Times, Tim O’Brien reports that more than 56,000 applicants for driving test look set to have to wait until late July at the earliest for a test date because of the challenge of maintaining social distancing between inspectors and candidates. O’Brien spoke to Fórsa, the union confirming that most testers are happy to get back to work once they had assurances on the safety protocols from health authorities.

Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation (INMO) general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha told the Special Covid-19 committee yesterday the Covid-19 infecion rate of Irish healthcare workers is the highest in the world. The INMO said that up to the end of 8 May, 8,018 cases of infection of healthcare workers were reported, with healthcare workers making up a third of all Covid-19 positive cases in Ireland.

A survey conducted by the INMO also revealed over 60% of nurses and midwives in Ireland are using up their annual leave to care for their children, and also found that the majority of those who are using paid childcare are paying over €100 a week above the usual amount so that they can attend work.

Finally, today’s zen is an incredible performance of The Cranberries’ ‘Dreams’, by Irish Women in Harmony, as part of an initiative to raise funds and awareness for SAFE Ireland. Enjoy!