A leading immunologist says Ireland would be back in lockdown now if it wasn't for our high Covid-19 vaccination rate.
High levels of infection have continued -- with 3,685 people confirmed as positive for the virus yesterday.
It's the fifth day in a row the official tally has been over 3-thousand, a level not seen since January.
Professor Luke O'Neill of Trinity College, says the only reason our hospital system hasn't been shut down is the success of the vaccine drive:
"The function of a vaccine is to prevent illness and death. That's the primary goal and the vaccines are holding up. It's great. Without the vaccines Ireland would be in a full lockdown now, because the Delta is so transmissible. The hospitals would be full of Covid patients."
