By James Cox
The head of the HSE is to accept Ireland's first delivery of Covid vaccines this morning.
HSE director-general Paul Reid called it a 'momentous day,' as the Pfizer jab arrives in the country.
It comes after the Department of Health confirmed the new variant of Covid-19, first detected in the UK, is in Ireland.
1,025 new cases of the virus and 2 deaths were reported yesterday.
While UK arrivals are being urged to self-isolate for 14 days while a testing system can be set up.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has warned that the arrival of the vaccine does not mean normality will return to life in six months.
Mr Martin said: “The first six months of 2021 we will see improvements, but we certainly not will see normality in the first six months.”
Vaccine approval
The European Union approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in December.
The European Medicines Agency issued a provisional marketing authorisation.
Nursing home residents are among the priority groups.
Mr Martin said that initial phase would make a “significant difference” and protect the most vulnerable.
He added: “Certainly manufacturing of the vaccine will be ramped up, certainly from March onwards.”
Mr Martin said May and June had been identified as “critical” months.
