The incidence of COVID-19 with faster spread has increased further in Ireland -PM

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FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a face mask takes a photo of the empty shopping street in the city center after the government imposed the highest level of restrictions amid the spread of the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) in Galway, Ireland, 1 January, 2021. REUTERS / Clodagh Kilcoyne

DUBLIN (Reuters) – The incidence of the most infectious variant of coronavirus first discovered in England has risen in Ireland in recent days and accounted for almost half of the latest sample of positive tests, said Prime Minister Micheál Martin.

Ireland’s 14-day infection rate has risen 10fold in the past three weeks to 1,291 cases per 100,000, fueled by the new variant and the reopening of shops, restaurants and the relaxation of the ban on visiting households before Christmas.

Martin said he was told by Ireland’s chief medical officer that the new variant accounted for 45% of the most recent 92 tests than had been subjected to additional tests, compared with 25% of those tested in the week to January 3 and 9. % two weeks earlier.

Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Hugh Lawson’s montage

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