A member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has confirmed that COVID-19 variants with no link to international travel has been detected in Ireland.
Dr Mary Favier, a former president of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP), said that while the variants have been detected in ‘very small numbers’, their discovery is still concerning.
The announcement comes after eight further deaths related to COVID-19 and 591 new cases were confirmed on Friday, with the 14-day incidence rate now standing at 166 cases per 100,000 people.
New variants of COVID-19 not linked to international travel have been discovered in Ireland Pic: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin