Galway Bay FM Newsroom – There has been a further 1,224 Covid-19 cases reported today.

It brings the five-day moving average of new cases to 1,334 – a slight increase compared to yesterday, but down from 1,454 a week ago.

278 people are in hospital with the virus, up 17 in 24 hours.

63 are in ICU, down three.

Figures released for Galway University Hospital yesterday evening shows that there are 16 receiving treatment for Covid-19. A reduction of 7 on the day previously.

Meanwhile, in Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, there is one patient getting treatment. No change from yesterday.

Of those figures, there are 4 in ICU in GUH, a reduction of 2 on yesterday and no change for Portiuncula with 1 patient in ICU.

The 700km Mizen to Malin cycle against Suicide will be visiting and passing through Galway on Tuesday and Wednesday next.

Over 100 cyclists from all over the country are taking part and they began this morning at 9.15am leaving the Mizen Head Car Park on their first leg to Killarney.

The Tuesday leg will leave Ballyvaughan and overnight in Oranmore before passing through Galway on Wednesday passing through Moycullen, Oughterard, Maam Cross, Lenane and Westport on its route to Castlebar.

Cycle Against Suicide, in existence since 2013, is a national awareness charity that sets out to change culture and create a society that openly talks about suicide to allow people to speak up and seek help.

Barry Williams is the fundraising and social media manager for Cycle against Suicide. He said there was great excitement when they set off from Mizen Head this morning:

Further supports are available on www.cycleagainstsuicide.com

The Route

Day 1/Sunday September 19th — Mizen >> Killarney – 122km

Day 2/Monday September 20th  — Killarney >> Lahinch –  126km

Day 3/Tuesday, September 21st — Lahinch >> Oranmore – 86km

Day 4/Wednesday, September 22nd — Oranmore >> Castlebar – 118km

Day 5/Thursday, September 23rd— Castlebar >> Donegal Town -148km

Day 6/Friday, September  24th — Donegal >> Malin Head – 123km

Galway Bay FM Newsroom – Midlands-North-West MEP Maria Walsh has this week called for the European commission to establish gender-based violence as a Eurocrime, which would make gender-based crimes illegal in all EU countries.

MEP Walsh had a central role in establishing the Parliament recommendations to the Commission on what to include in their future actions on combating gender-based violence.

A survey completed in 2014 by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights found that approximately 50 women lose their lives to domestic violence every week.

A Women’s Aid report published earlier this year saw that 29,717 people contacted the domestic violence support service in 2020, an increase of 43% compared to 2019. 95% of those who contacted the 24-hour national helpline were women, 5% were men.

Speaking to Galway Bay FM News this afternoon, MEP Walsh said that while the vote does not immediately mean that Gender Based violence is a Eurocrime, it is an important start to the process: