Dr de Gascun said new strain has not been detected yetAn urgent plea to stop socialising and have a stay-at-home family Christmas has been made as Covid-19 surges, plunging the country into a third wave of the virus. The call was made last night by Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan, who urged people not to go to restaurants or pubs. The situation has deteriorated rapidly," Dr Holohan said. VulnerableProf Nolan said the virus is transmitting rapidly, "faster than we have seen at any point since March". Dr Cillian De Gascun, of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said the new strain "has not been detected in Ireland".

Source: The Herald December 22, 2020 02:34 UTC