Irish expert believes Ireland can get hold of Delta spread by August with vaccine boost

An Irish immunovirology expert has said he believes Ireland is on track to slow the spread of the Delta variant in August, as cases currently remain above 1,000 per day.

Speaking on Newstalk this morning, Professor Liam Fanning, from University College Cork said that within two or three weeks we should see a decrease in case numbers.

A large number of infections being reported at the moment are among the 18-24 cohort as restrictions lift and the majority of this age group await their vaccine.

However, the increase in vaccinations will boost our overall defence against this strain as the online portal opens for all adults to register for a dose.

Mr Fanning compared our situation to what is happening in Scotland, where cases spiked extremely quickly but then dropped off and said there would be a similar situation in Ireland with a few weeks of “see-sawing” hospital admissions.

Meanwhile, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar recently predicted a much higher case count as the weeks go on and said he expected 4,000 cases per day very soon.

He explained that while cases may skyrocket, mortality rates will be much lower as over 66% of the country is fully protected against the severe side effects of the virus.

While restrictions around international travel were eased as planned on Monday, Varadkar this morning said a further easing is unlikely.

It is understood that while we battle this fourth wave, the current limit on wedding guest numbers will remain, as well as current restrictions on crowds at gigs and sporting events.

Indoor leisure facilities will also stay closed for now as the Government tries to control the latest threat posed by Covid.

This morning, HSE Chief Paul Reid confirmed that over 5.34 million vaccines have now been administered here, meaning 66% of adults are now fully vaccinated, and 80% of the remaining adult population are partially covered.

He said “Delta poses a huge risk to this progress but one that we can meet head-on. Let's aim to support our healthcare workers having a manageable August. One that they all deserve.”