Taoiseach warns of 'serious' Delta variant as 1,179 Covid-19 cases confirmed

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warned of the "serious" situation in relation to the spread of the Delta variant as cases continue to rise.

There has been an additional 1,179 cases of Covid-19 recorded in Ireland up to midnight on Saturday.

There are 91 people in hospitals across the country, 22 of whom are in ICU.

There were five people with Covid-19 in Cork University Hospital (CUH) on Friday, July 16.

Speaking in Cork on Saturday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed his concern in relation to the rising cases of the Delta variant which he said is “serious”.

Mr Martin, who is due to meet with the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and Chair of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group Professor Philip Nolan next week, said that it is important that people take the spread of the variant seriously.

We want to prevent people from getting Covid and so it's important that people take it seriously from that perspective.

He said that the development of Long Covid and other complications in relation to the virus is something that “people do not want and do not need”.

“It’s very very important as we move into this phase of Covid-19 that all of us individually and communities redouble our efforts and refocus in terms of protecting society from this disease,” he said.