Delta surge
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warned the impact of the Delta Covid variant is beginning to be felt, as chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan confirmed the variant now accounts for over 70 per cent of new cases detected.
Mr Martin said there was a “clear indication” Delta was “beginning to have its impact”, while there are growing fears within Government that the spike in case numbers caused by Delta could lead to over 1,000 cases a day in less than two weeks.
Despite this, Mr Martin said plans to reopen international travel and adopt the EU's Digital Covid Certificate scheme on Monday week remain "on track".
Indoor dining and international travel
Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has indicated it may be August before indoor dining is allowed.
Speaking on his way into a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Mr Ryan said he expected digital travel certificates to go ahead as planned on July 19th, but that the rest of society would be opened across August.
He said the Government would not be throwing the doors open as they are doing in the UK but that health data from the UK would be significant in determining how plans could evolve.
Rise in Covid testing
The number of Covid-19 swab tests is increasing by 30 per cent every week as the Delta variant accounts for the majority of new cases, the head of the HSE has warned.
Paul Reid said that the number of Covid-19 tests carried out on Monday was at its highest since January.
Deutsche bank job cuts
Deutsche Bank has announced plans to cut approximately 440 jobs in Dublin as part of its strategy to “simplify its operations and reduce costs”.
In a statement this morning, the company confirmed just under 250 roles will be relocated from Dublin to other centres around the world, while they will also be “materially reducing its contractor workforce in Ireland over the course of the year”.
Vaccines for millennials
Registration for 30- to 34-year-olds for a Covid-19 mRNA vaccine will open on Wednesday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has confirmed.
Appointments will follow in a matter of days with the first vaccinations for this group next week.
