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More tests will be conducted in the coming weeks to establish how much of the presence of the new Covid-19 strain it has in Ireland.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan confirmed last night that the Dublin National Virus Reference Laboratory had detected the new UK variant.
It came as the number of new cases passed the 1,000 mark, but there was a glimmer of hope on Christmas Day when the planned launch of the vaccine for nursing home residents was confirmed.
Nursing home residents and staff will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the end of February, according to a preliminary HSE schedule on the launch of the vaccine.
This comes as Nphet confirmed 1,025 new cases and two more deaths.
Dr Holohan said: “I can confirm that we have detected the new UK variant of Sars-CoV-2 by whole genome sequencing at the National Virus Reference Laboratory at UCD.
“More tests in the coming days and weeks will establish to what extent it is present here. In the meantime, it is vitally important that we all stay home, avoid social contact, and avoid all forms of non-essential travel.
“It is particularly important that those who have arrived from the UK strictly isolate themselves for a full 14 days after arrival. They should not interact with others, visit others, socialize, or go shopping. The HSE is making arrangements to test the newcomers from the UK. “
The R number of reproduction of the coronavirus in Ireland is currently estimated between 1.5 and 1.8, which is the highest since April.
Government and public health officials have begged the public to keep Christmas celebrations and gatherings to an absolute minimum for the next few days in an effort to slow the growth of Covid-19.
But there is new hope with the arrival of the vaccine.
Starting January 11, vaccination teams will travel to each of Hiqa’s 583 residential care centers for the elderly, both public and private, to administer two doses to more than 70,000 people over a six-week period. This includes 29,456 residents and 41,856 employees.
The first facilities to receive vaccines are in Cork, Tipperary and Dublin, Mayo, Cavan and Offaly.
In Dublin, staff and residents at St Mary’s Hospital in Phoenix Park, where 24 people died from Covid-19 earlier this year, will be among the first in the country to be vaccinated on January 11.
On the same day, Our Lady’s Manor Dalkey, Kiltipper Woods Nursing Home, Glenaulin Nursing Home and TLC Center Santry will be the Dublin facility where vaccines will be administered. A full list has been posted on Independent.ie.
Each residential care center will be assigned a “day one” (first vaccination) and a “day 21” (second vaccination). All residents and staff will be invited to consent in advance and then receive the vaccine on these dates whenever possible.
According to details in a preliminary copy of the vaccine supply chain model, seen by the Irish Independent, based on teams working five days a week, it will take three weeks to deliver the first dose and another three for the second.
It is estimated that each vaccinator will take 12 minutes to administer the vaccine with a goal of injecting 35 vaccines per day.
Nursing homes that received the vaccine release related documents were advised that they are in draft format, are incomplete, and therefore subject to change.
Online editors
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