Thursday night's press conference from The Department of Health in Dublin was one of the more memorable encounters of recent, as Ireland saw its largest spike in cases for a number of weeks, with worrying clusters developing in various work settings as well as a Direct Provision Center. With all eyes on August 10th, knowing that a further pause of the lockdown roadmap is very much possible, Ireland’s precarious position over the past few weeks continues as uncertainty grows over a second wave growing speed. 

This week's podcast dives into why some sectors and professions are not only more inclined to catch COVID-19, but also likely to be more vulnerable to the worst outcomes of the virus if infected. Dr Brendan Walsh is a Research Officer for the ESRI and authored a new report looking at how some essential workers are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. Host Ian Doyle speaks to him about how they were able to use labour force survey data, to see where people living with chronic conditions are most likely to work in Ireland. 

Also in the podcast, with many Irish cities fast tracking new policies and public infrastructure to “COVID proof” their urban areas, The Irish Independent’s Ralph Riegel discusses how COVID-19 has sped up the transformation of some Irish City Centers by as much as a decade.

Produced by UrbanMedia

Hosted by Ian Doyle

Music by Psykick

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