The Big 6 - Thursday 7th January

Every evening at 6 O Clock WLR brings you the 6 biggest stories of the day

The incidence of Covid-19 in Waterford has increased from 203 to 631 in the first five days of the year according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre. The 14-day incidence rate in Waterford is now 631.8 per 100,000 people after 734 cases were confirmed here during the last fortnight.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to the platform this afternoon to announce that Facebook and Instagram have blocked Donald Trump’s accounts “indefinitely” following yesterday’s unrest at the Capitol Buildings in Washington DC. The scenes, which shocked the world yesterday, have been condemned by Irish politicians.

Darren Ryan, Waterford bus driver, and Tom O’Connor, Bus Eireann from the National Bus and Rail Union spoke to Damien Tiernan on todays Deise Today about concerns public transport drivers currently have about the high covid-19 case numbers and the risks presented to them by going to work and dealing with the public. Listen back here.

Plans to partially reopen schools for thousands of Leaving Cert students and special needs pupils could be doubt after unions seek urgent meetings with the Government over the public health basis for the decision. One Dublin school has already declared their intentions not to re-open

RTÉ have confirmed it will remove a Waterford Whispers sketch from the RTÉ Player following the decision of the broadcaster’s Editorial Standards Board. As part of RTÉ’s New Year’s Eve Countdown, a segment was aired showing a mocked-up news report claiming God had been arrested over “sexual harassment scandals”.

Millions of people watched CNN reporter Donie O Sullivan, originally from Kerry, report from Capitol Hill. His mother Noreen O Sullivan said she could hardly watch the reports herself. Donie will join Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show this Friday night alongside Cervical Check campaigner Vicky Phelan.