The head of Ireland’s Covid-19 vaccine taskforce has said there will only be a modest impact to the rollout of the vaccination programme.
Pfizer BioNTech has announced a temporary reduction in supplies as it expands its facilities.
Professor Brian MacCraith told RTE News: “After a stressful day it has been very relieving news to hear from Pfizer this evening that the proposed reduction will only apply to one week and that is this coming week.”
He said from next month there would be significant growth in supplies coming into Ireland.
An additional 50 people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland, the Department of Health said.
We have a very long way to go but the majority of people are stepping up & playing their part. Do not be disheartened by stories of non-compliance. Solidarity has been & remains the hallmark of our response to date in Ireland - the silent majority continue to do the right thing.
— Dr Ronan Glynn (@ronan_glynn) January 15, 2021
All of these deaths occurred in January.
Another 3,498 cases were confirmed.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said new variants of Covid-19 have recently been identified in Brazil and in travellers to Japan from Brazil.
He added: “There is no evidence of these variants in Ireland.
“Anyone who has travelled from Brazil in the last 14 days is advised to self-isolate for 14 days, from the date of arrival, and identify themselves, through a GP, for testing as soon as possible.
“It is essential that anyone arriving from Brazil self-isolate for 14 days from the date of arrival before entering/re-entering the workplace.
“We are particularly appealing to employers to enable their employees to protect each other by staying at home for the full 14 days.”
