Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn PA Images

Public health bosses ‘concerned’ about impact of Delta variant in coming weeks

It comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to delay reopening plans by four weeks.

PUBLIC HEALTH BOSSES have said they are “concerned” about the impact the Delta variant may have in the coming weeks.

It comes as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to delay reopening plans by four weeks until 19 July, as a result of the rapid growth of the variant there.

Speaking today, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn urged people who are not yet vaccinated to remain vigilant.

“One thing that we’re particularly concerned about is the Delta variant, and what impact that may have over the coming weeks,” he told Beat 102-103.

“We’re very keen for people, particularly people who have not been vaccinated, continue to follow the basic messages so that we don’t run into trouble over the coming weeks.”

It’s understood, however, that Cabinet members believe government plans for a further reopening of the economy and society from 5 July won’t be affected by the Delta variant. 

The number of Delta variant cases in the Republic has increased to 126, according to the latest update from the HSE.

In Northern Ireland, 111 probable and confirmed cases of the variant were detected up to last week.

Last week, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said “all hands on deck” are needed to deal with what he called the “dark cloud on the horizon” of the Delta variant of Covid-19, first identified in India.

He called for a collective effort from political leaders across Ireland and the UK to tackle new strains of the coronavirus.

Outgoing Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster said the Delta variant now makes up around 20 to 25% of new cases in Northern Ireland, raising concerns that case numbers and hospital admissions could rise in the weeks ahead.

The issue was high on the agenda of a meeting of the British Irish Council in Co Fermanagh on Friday.

Martin said: “What was interesting in the discussions this morning, what my ears were particularly alert to was on the various communications around the Delta variant, for example.

“And some jurisdictions saying to us, we’re not quite out of the woods yet.”

He added: “I think it brought home the necessity for us to work very closely together, in terms of monitoring the evolution of Covid, and in particular, the latest cloud on the horizon, it being the Delta variant.

“I think it’s through close collaboration that we can work, but we need to have all hands on deck, in terms of dealing with what has been a very serious issue for the people we represent.”

Today brought 242 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, the Department of Health said.

There are currently 67 patients in hospital with the disease, 23 of whom are in intensive care units.

Daily case numbers may change due to future data review, validation and update, owing to the cyberattack on the HSE.

With reporting by Hayley Halpin

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

View 44 comments
Close
44 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Wright
    Favourite Alan Wright
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 9:50 PM

    Here we go, the kite flying has begun for the anticipated halt to further reopening of the country. Numbers have been stable and hospital cases reducing or stable, vaccinations heading in the right direction, but we these messages to keep up the fear.

    523
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
    Favourite Thomas O' Donnell
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:13 PM

    @Alan Wright: So just ignore the fact that the variant is more contagious and more likely to cause hospitalisations and is increasing hospital numbers in the UK?

    323
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Wright
    Favourite Alan Wright
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:25 PM

    @Thomas O’ Donnell: nope, but do something to halt the importation of this, mostly from the UK. Dragging our heels on this will be a costly mistake. I.e. harsh restrictions from tomorrow for anyone travelling from the UK, and that way we can keep our economy opening. But people like you, just seem to want to keep us in lockdown forever.

    275
    See 15 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Macca1986
    Favourite Macca1986
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:32 PM

    @Alan Wright: spot on Alan. chances are you’re going to have to deal with many variants of covid to come. you cant keep going backwards

    79
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Hazelnut
    Favourite John Hazelnut
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:36 PM

    @Alan Wright: I agree, we especially don’t want this variant. However, the only plausible control methods are effective treatments, effective vaccinations, effective lockdowns, and effective NPIs (masks, 2 metres, ventilation, etc.) Cohort 7, (High Risk, not Very High Risk) and people who had AstraZeneca aren’t placed well at present.

    48
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Gorry
    Favourite Paul Gorry
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:03 PM

    @Alan Wright: while I understand your sentiment, let’s not forget the fact that a lot of people 60 plus have been given the vaccine least effective against the new delta variant, and still waiting on the second shot. Meanwhile there grandkids are being offered the most effective and probably just have a light cold.

    56
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Kenny
    Favourite Alan Kenny
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:06 PM

    @Paul Gorry: AZ is 90% effective against this new Variant

    39
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Hazelnut
    Favourite John Hazelnut
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:13 PM

    @Macca1986: True, the variants won’t stop at Delta, SARS-COV-2 mutates all the time, especially when there is a lot of it around. “Indoor Gatherings” and “Close Quarters Transmission at 20 cm (via spittle particles)” need to be avoided. That R0 (transmission rate) needs to be kept well below 1.0. Vaccines should help hugely in this.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Gorry
    Favourite Paul Gorry
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:26 PM

    @Alan Kenny: Only after the second jab Alan which is what iam saying.Do you not see my point. People over 60 fretting about about the new variant which is in their faces 24/7 lately and can’t get a date for the second jab of AZ . I personally have no problem with any vaccine.

    36
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Hazelnut
    Favourite John Hazelnut
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:30 PM

    @Alan Kenny: AZ is about 60% effective against infection this new Delta variant, with double jabs. AZ is slightly OVER 90% effective against Hospitalisation with this new Delta variant. But without any vaccines at all, there is about 80% of the population who would not be hospitalised anyway, so double AZ is not a gigantic improvement on no vaccine at all. There is a marked difference between vaccines making someone totally immune to the virus, and them becoming Hospitalised. More statistics are required.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Williamson
    Favourite Richard Williamson
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:58 PM

    @John Hazelnut: this is the first time I’ve thought about those numbers like this. Does this mean that hospitalisations only drop from 20% to 10% with the AZ vaccine. Surely the figures are better than that.??

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Hazelnut
    Favourite John Hazelnut
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 1:17 AM

    @Richard Williamson: Websites recording Coronavirus in early to late 2020 worldwide largely indicated that the death rate was only about 2% of all cases, with maybe 5 to 7 % ending up in ICU, and about 20% requiring hospitalisation. This was at the time of the original virus.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute John Hazelnut
    Favourite John Hazelnut
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 1:20 AM

    @Richard Williamson: One current version of these websites can be found here :

    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Zippy
    Favourite Zippy
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 4:39 AM

    @John Hazelnut: you don’t understand efficacy.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry Cahill
    Favourite Terry Cahill
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 5:25 AM

    @Alan Wright: you really don’t get it do you ?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry Cahill
    Favourite Terry Cahill
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 5:28 AM

    @Alan Kenny: Said he conveniently leaving out vital information .

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richard Williamson
    Favourite Richard Williamson
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 8:04 AM

    @John Hazelnut: these figures do not make sense as you have explained them.
    If there is no vaccine we get about 10-20% hospitalisations.
    And if we have 1 shot of AZ it says it is 35 % effective. That does not mean that 65% will require hospitalisation. Does it not mean that 35% of those who would have been hospitalised do not require so.
    Similarly with most of the vaccines at 90 odd % efficacy after 2 shots. Does that not mean that 90% of the about 10 to 20% of hospitalisations were prevented. Leaving us on about 1-2% hospitalisation instead of 10-20%

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gerard Carthy
    Favourite Gerard Carthy
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 9:36 AM

    @Thomas O’ Donnell: Yes. Cases were always going to rise in the U.K. as they re opened, and Delta is just more transmissible, so will be dominant.
    Look at Ondia, cases there are now in exponential decay on the same curve as surges in other countries with different variants have been.
    Variants are completely normal with coronavirus; the cold you get each year is a new variant, or a mix of several.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Margaret Deacon
    Favourite Margaret Deacon
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:10 PM

    Wish they would hurry up and give the vulnerable over 60s their second Astra shot, looking like all my ” children” will be fully vaccinated before me

    282
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Betty Hoare
    Favourite Betty Hoare
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 12:45 AM

    @Margaret Deacon: Me too. Got 1st jab of AS 7 weeks ago and no move yet on the promised bringing down of the 12 week wait.

    66
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith Flood
    Favourite Keith Flood
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 9:48 PM

    Everyone double down on their efforts after we dithered and put politics before public health by waiting until a few thousand people returned from India having attended a religious festival, and once they had all returned, we then put India on the mandatory quarantine list . Farcical .

    232
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Eddie Michael
    Favourite Eddie Michael
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:10 PM

    Dr Doom’s apprentice doesn’t want to loose the limelight….

    164
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Teresa O'Halloran
    Favourite Teresa O'Halloran
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 7:44 AM

    @Eddie Michael: he is doing his job. Just because you don’t like the message doesn’t mean you should insult the messenger.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Healy
    Favourite Michael Healy
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 7:56 AM

    @Teresa O’Halloran: strange his job is to advice the government, yet when he wants to get his way seemingly, he either does it via the media like last October when he came back, spouted doom via the media and landed us back at level 5, which ironically started the ball rolling to the chaotic Christmas, and then he just couldn’t help himself tweeting 3 weeks ago about Dublin, knowing dam well the kind of mass hysteria that would have caused, but instead it backfired bad and turned a lot of people against him and NPHET..

    35
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Larry Rawson
    Favourite Larry Rawson
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:08 PM

    Close the Border for 2 weeks and suppress the VIRUS……Just Do It Now.

    121
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry Cahill
    Favourite Barry Cahill
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:53 PM

    The power these unelected bureaucrats have attained over the lives of the people of this country is something they are very hesitant to relinquish it seems. Disappointed to say I’m not surprised. Keeping the public scared for as long as possible is a winning strategy for them.

    129
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Clancy
    Favourite Paul Clancy
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:41 PM

    @Barry Cahill: are you actually scared?

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry Cahill
    Favourite Terry Cahill
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 5:30 AM

    @Barry Cahill: Your imagination is very sharp .

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Lockdown Logic
    Favourite Lockdown Logic
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 9:44 PM

    Bit of a waste of a long article. Public Health England released this earlier. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/vaccines-highly-effective-against-hospitalisation-from-delta-variant

    129
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brian O'Toole
    Favourite Brian O'Toole
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 9:53 PM

    Calling them “bosses” makes it sound like they’re part of the Mafia

    67
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Barrett
    Favourite Dave Barrett
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:10 PM

    Delta variant! Why the name change?
    Is it not the indian variant?

    50
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gavin Conran
    Favourite Gavin Conran
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 12:16 AM

    @Dave Barrett: “The World Health Organization has said it will rename COVID-19 variants to avoid stigmatization of countries where new strains of the virus are first reported.”

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ernie Gallagher
    Favourite Ernie Gallagher
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 2:01 AM

    @Gavin Conran: Yeah, apparently they don’t feel they’ve damaged the airline industry enough so they’ve chosen airline names instead ;-)

    50
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Terry Cahill
    Favourite Terry Cahill
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 5:31 AM

    @Ernie Gallagher: Not Greek to your then Eh ?

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Waylanderj
    Favourite Waylanderj
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:46 PM

    They’re so concerned they stopped vaccination in Limerick for a horse racing meet
    Or is it everywhere but Limerick they’re concerned about

    46
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Liam McLiam
    Favourite Liam McLiam
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 1:25 AM

    The next two years are crucial.

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Marie Lynch
    Favourite Marie Lynch
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 1:45 AM

    Oh for goodness sake speed up vaccine to older age group

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute a
    Favourite a
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 10:56 PM

    I’m surprised his boss let him speak.

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Healy
    Favourite Michael Healy
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 7:59 AM

    The next (insert how many years we will have to live with covid here) are crucial. Hold firm, just a little bit longer, all in this together, dark clouds, protect the badly run hse, having fun could kill granny even though she’s been fully vaccinated in the nursing home for months and we still won’t let her leave or have people visit regularly…

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sal Paradise
    Favourite Sal Paradise
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 7:45 AM

    If you’re worried then stay at home and barricade yourself indoors. Otherwise let’s get this show on the road.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fran O'Keeffe
    Favourite Fran O'Keeffe
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 7:48 AM

    U mean the Indian it came from India

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joed
    Favourite Joed
    Report
    Jun 14th 2021, 11:40 PM

    Does johnson &Johnson jab protect against the delta variant.

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute OConnelj
    Favourite OConnelj
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 7:50 AM

    @Joed: ask your GP

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute McCarthy John
    Favourite McCarthy John
    Report
    Jun 15th 2021, 10:48 AM

    It’s an awful pity that Ronan Glynn does not look under his nose to see the disgraceful HSE treatment of women under age 55 with a history of blood clots who are being offered a 2nd dose of AZ when TEN WEEKS AGO the French and Spanish governments prohibited the use of of a 2nd AZ dose for all of the population under age 55. Time for HSE and NIAC to provide humane treatment for such women by offering a Pfizer as a 2nd dose.

    8
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds