DUBLIN, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Delta variant of COVID-19 now accounts for over 70 percent of the confirmed cases in Ireland, said a senior public health official here on Monday.
Tony Holohan, chief medical officer of the Irish Department of Health, said this in a statement released by his department on Monday evening.
The statement said that 365 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Ireland on Monday, bringing the total number of such cases in the country to 274,306.
"While this variant continues to present a threat, those of us who are fully vaccinated can have confidence in their vaccine," said Holohan, adding that the Delta variant continues to present a risk to those who are unvaccinated or waiting for a second dose of vaccine.
He called on the public to follow public health advice and get vaccinated against COVID-19 when they are offered the vaccine.
Latest available official figures showed that as of June 27, over 4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in Ireland, accounting for about 80 percent of its total population.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told local media earlier in the day that he believes close to 50 percent of people in Ireland will get fully vaccinated by July 6.
Starting from Monday, more COVID-19 restrictions in Ireland have been eased. They included allowing more people to attend outdoor events and letting 50 people in maximum attend a wedding reception.
From Monday, there will be no limit on the number of people who can meet indoors if they are all fully vaccinated, said Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE, adding that the EU Digital COVID Certificate, which has entered into application on July 1, is expected to be operational in Ireland from July 19. Enditem