Coronavirus: Delta variant cases in State rise to 126 Little community transmission in Republic of version first discovered in India
about 4 hours ago
The alpha variant that was first identified in the UK remains the dominant variant in the Republic, accounting for about 90% of sequenced samples.
The number of Irish cases of the delta variant of Covid-19 first identified in India has increased to 126, according to the latest update from the Health Service Executive.
While this represents a small increase from the 116 cases last reported at the end of May, the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre says many cases were sent to Germany for genetic sequencing following the cyberattack on its IT systems last month and these results have not come back yet.
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During the first wave, rates were relatively low â indeed Derry and Strabane were among the lowest in Northern Ireland â but this changed rapidly as the summer ended; by October the rate of infection on Derryâs Cityside was the worst on these islands â if not farther afield â at more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.
Measured against that benchmark, the region is clearly in a much better place. According to Fridayâs figures from the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, there were 45.8 cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days in Derry and Strabane â still the highest in the North, and more than three times higher than the Northern Irish average of 25.2 â but, importantly, lower than they were a week ago.