Judge Colm Roberts said after a case that went on throughout todayday, “I can only determine the matter on the evidence. I am not satisfied that the state has reached the standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt. I think it would be unsafe to convict. I have to dismiss,” he said.

Both Bus Eireann and Irish Rail said they were awaiting an update on the restrictions in the run-up Christmas before making a decision on services in Cork for the coming weeks.

Picture; David Creedon / Anzenberger

Parents were notified via email of the outbreak on Tuesday.

While 10 million doses may be available, some vaccines, like the one from Pfizer, require a double dose and so the actual number of people who can be inoculated will be smaller.

Speaking to The Echo , Prof Gerry Killeen, AXA Research Chair in Applied Pathogen Ecology at the Environmental Research Institute and School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, at University College Cork said that he was concerned at the prospect of restrictions being loosened too much, too soon.

Picture Denis Minihane.