Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer has expressed growing concern over the spread of the Delta variant.
The Department of Health confirmed 284 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland this evening. There are 53 patients with the virus in hospital, 13 of whom are being treated in intensive care.
But in the last week, NPHET estimates that delta accounts for as many as 1 in 5 new infections.
Dr Tony Holohan says there has been a number of outbreaks associated with this variant.
The delta variant is considerably more transmissible than other strains of Covid-19. There is concerns on both sides of the border over the spread through travel.
On Saturday, Health Chiefs in Northern Ireland and the Republic made a call for people who are intending to travel across the Border to be alert and ensure that they avoid activities which could place them or their families at risk.
“In the UK, Delta has been the dominant strain of Covid-19 for a number of weeks and now they are beginning to experience a rise in hospitalisations,” said Dr Holohan.
“It is really important that people who are not fully vaccinated continue to follow all public health advice. This includes people who are waiting for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
