
The first phase of the national vaccination programme is reported to be coming to a close, as officials said this week that elderly residents of care homes would soon all have the first jab of the coronavirus vaccine, as would the majority of health workers.
Planning for the second phase – which will see all those over the age of 80 be inoculated – has already begun in regions, with up to 2.8 million people receiving the injection in the next phase.
Meanwhile a further 47,095 cases of the coronavirus, and a further 909 covid-19 related deaths were recorded by the health ministry yesterday. The figure was the highest number of deaths during the third wave of the pandemic.