The first confirmed cases of the Covid-19 variant first detected in South Africa have been recorded in Northern Ireland, Health Minister Robin Swann said.
Mr Swann said three cases of the variant had been confirmed. The minister said a detailed health protection risk assessment and contact tracing response had been deployed and the risk of transmission has been judged to be low at this time. "I have previously been clear that identification of a confirmed case or cases of this variant in Northern Ireland was inevitable at some point," said Mr Swann. "This development does not mean that this variant is going to become the most prevalent or the dominant strain in Northern Ireland. "However, it does underline once again the very real need for