The Chief Medical Officer has said the National Public Health Emergency Team is "genuinely concerned" about the number of cases of the variant of Covid-19 first identified in India that have been detected in Ireland.
Dr Tony Holohan said data from Public Health England, due to be published later today, is likely to show a decrease in effectiveness of the vaccine in prevention of transmission of this variant, after the 1st dose.
Dr Holohan said: "In broad terms you could characterise the virus here at the moment as, for the most part, the sky is blue but there is a black cloud on the horizon which is the Indian variant."
"We are concerned genuinely about the reports we have received and the credibility we attach to them around the increased transmissibility associated with that particular variant," he said.
He said said some of the data collated in the UK has shown "a possibility" that the variant could be 50% more transmissible than the B117 variant.
"In broad terms… the sky is for the most part blue, but there is a black cloud on the horizon"
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 21, 2021
.@CMOIreland says while the situation at the moment is stable, there is "genuine" concern around the Covid-19 variant first identified in India | More: https://t.co/t9FtwuKk9F pic.twitter.com/orgykew6CJ
He said this variant is "the most concerning one" seen by NPHET since the emergence of the B117 variant, first detected in the UK, at the turn of the year.
Dr Holohan said he has to "raise the flag" that it is possible that the prevalence of the Indian variant "could get in the way" of the current trajectory of the disease in Ireland.
Dr Cillian de Gascun, Medical Virologist and Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said 72 cases of B.1617.2, (the so-called Indian variant) have been detected in Ireland.
He said 13 cases of this variant were acquired in data received by the NVRL over the last 24 hours.
Dr de Gascun said there were 59 cases identified earlier this week.
He said many of the cases that were detected were identified before India was added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list.
"It is important people continue to take this seriously"@CillianDeGascun says the concern with the B1617.2 variant is that there are 72 cases despite interventions, adding its important people adhere to Covid-19 measures to not allow it get out of hand | https://t.co/t9FtwuKk9F pic.twitter.com/upkoZUtNVR
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 21, 2021
Yesterday, the World Health Organization's European director Hans Kluge said that the Indian variant has now been identified in at least 26 of the 53 countries in the WHO Europe region.
But he added: "All Covid-19 virus variants that have emerged so far do respond to the available, approved vaccines."
Although the Indian strain is still being studied, "it is able to spread rapidly" and replace the dominant lineage in Europe, Mr Kluge said.
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It comes as 524 new cases of Covid-19 were reported to the Department of Health.
There are 38 patients receiving treatment in intensive care units around the country, no change from yesterday.
Speaking at the weekly Department of Health briefing, the Chair of NPHET's Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Professor Philip Nolan said the number of people hospitalised and in ICU remains "very stable", as does the daily incidence of the disease.
Prof Nolan said despite "severe limitations to the volume and detail of data" received due to the cyberattack on the HSE, NPHET has "reliable data" on the key indicators of disease.
He said the 7-day moving average is the same as it was on 13 May at 431, however he added that this may change a couple of percent due to detailed data received in the coming days.
"We're looking at very stable incidences"@President_MU says indicators of severity of disease are stable, with the 7-day moving average remaining the same as last week, and the 14-day average slightly down | More: https://t.co/t9FtwuKk9F pic.twitter.com/I8PmubYoH6
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 21, 2021
In Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has reported no further deaths of patients who had previously tested positive for Covid-19.
Another 84 positive cases were also confirmed in the past 24 hours.
As of this morning, there were 34 Covid-positive patients in hospital, of whom two were in intensive care.
The average 7-day incidence rate per 100,000 is 39.4. The area with the highest rate remains Derry and Strabane on 77.7, while the lowest remains Ards and North Down on 2.5.
A total of 1,604,801 vaccine doses have now been administered in Northern Ireland. Of those, 1,0004,070 are first doses, while 575,059 people have also received their second jab.
Vaccination programme at 'full speed'
Meanwhile, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the vaccination programme is operating very well and at "full speed".
He said registration for a Covid-19 vaccine is open to those aged 47 years today and will include people aged 46 tomorrow.
Mr Donnelly said the vaccine programme was not affected by the HSE cyber attack, although acknowledged there have been some delays in getting information.
He said there was a record week last week and a record day also with 50,000 doses administered in one day.
The Department of Health, which is dealing with the fallout from a cyber attack last week, has said the numbers are subject to future data validation.
Patients and health workers are facing considerable and continued disruption one week on from the cyber attack on the HSE.
Minister Donnelly said progress was made last night in getting some systems back in a number of voluntary hospitals.
However, there are cancellations across all outpatient services and particular problems in radiation oncology.
Earlier, the Minister for Tourism indicated that the Government is examining introducing additional supports for wet pubs who want to serve customers outside.
