Indian Covid-19 variant detected in Northern Ireland Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride said plans are in place folllowing the discovery of the variant in the north. Picture by Liam McBurney. 06 May, 2021 16:22
The Department of Health has confirmed that the Indian variant of Covid-19 has been found in Northern Ireland.
In a statement released this afternoon, the department said it had been notified by the Public Health Agency (PHA) that seven cases of the B.1.617.2 variant had been detected in the north.
A health protection risk assessment is taking place as part of the public health response, as well as contact tracing.
Recap as Indian Covid variant found in Northern Ireland
These are the first confirmed cases of this variant in the country, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said
Seven cases of the Indian coronavirus variant have been confirmed in Northern Ireland. The Department of Health said it had been notified by the Public Health Agency of seven confirmed cases of the VUI B.1.617.2 (India) Coronavirus variant in Northern Ireland.
These are the first confirmed cases of this variant in the province.
Incident management protocols have been activated. A detailed health protection risk assessment will be part of the public health response, as will contact tracing.
Cases of Indian variant confirmed in North
These are the first confirmed cases of this variant in the North.
The Department of Health is working closely with the PHA and the Regional Virology Laboratory in relation to the investigation and assessment of these cases.
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Incident management protocols have been activated. A detailed health protection risk assessment will be part of the public health response, as will contact tracing.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said: “This news is not entirely unexpected and plans are in place for such an eventuality.
“While preventative measures – including travel restrictions – are very important, the assessment is that these will delay rather than permanently prevent the spread of variants already detected elsewhere on these islands.
Indian variant of coronavirus in Northern Ireland: Everything we know
The B.1.617.2 Coronavirus variant has been found in the province
Updated
Staff from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
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Thank you for subscribingWe have more newslettersShow meSee ourprivacy notice The first cases of a new coronavirus variant first identified in India have been identified in Northern Ireland, health officials have said.
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Covid signage in Belfast city centre (Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
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No further coronavirus related deaths have been reported by the Department of Health today.