High Levels Of Vaccine Take-Up across All Irish Age Groups

The Department of Health has confirmed 1,361 new cases of Covid-19 in the Irish Republic. There remain 160 patients in our hospitals, all who have tested positive for the disease, a rise of 8 patients in the past 24 hours. The number of persons in our ICU’s remains unchanged at 26.

Here in the Irish Republic Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Holohan has stated that the incidence of Covid-19 in Ireland is mainly among those aged 13 to 34 years.

In Northern Ireland, there have been 1,471 new infections and, sadly, 2 deaths reported over the same period.

These figures confirm a combined total of 2,832 covid-19 cases on the island of Ireland over the past 24 hours; down 176 on yesterday’s combined figures.

While Chief medical officer Dr. Tony Holohan stated last Wednesday that Ireland had one of the highest rates of vaccine uptakes in the world, and added that the country could be just “weeks away” from lifting further restrictions; An Taoiseach Mr Micheál Martin has ruled out the possibility of a massive easing of Covid-19 restrictions, similar to England’s so called “freedom day”.

Meanwhile, the European Medicines Agency said it has confidence in the safety and efficacy of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines for use among those aged 12 to 15 year olds. EMA Executive Director Ms Emer Cooke has stated that the already impressive performance of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in older populations, has been replicated in children’s trials.