Coronavirus - 14th May 2021

Summary for Friday, 14th May

• Second vaccine doses could be brought forward to help tackle the Indian variant in the UK's worst-affected areas
  
• Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi says the programme can be flexed, with more doses for affected areas
  
• Local restrictions could also be introduced after cases of the variant in England more than doubled
  
• Public Health England recorded 1,313 UK cases of the Indian variant in figured released yesterday, up from 520 a week earlier
  
• People in Wales are being advised to only travel abroad for "essential" reasons for at least three more weeks
  
• First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to provide an update on restrictions Glasgow and Moray will face amid outbreaks there
  
• US officials have said vaccinated people can go mask-less in most indoor and outdoor settings
  
• President Joe Biden removed his mask in the Oval Office and hailed it a "great day for America"
  

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of coronavirus developments this Friday. We’ll bring you all the latest as it happens.

Today so far…

• A ransomware attack has caused Ireland’s healthcare IT system to be shut down. The attack has been blamed on international criminals and was said to be targeting healthcare records, but officials said patient safety was not at risk. Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) has said that coronavirus vaccinations are going ahead as planned.
  
• Japan will declare a state of emergency in three more prefectures hit hard by the pandemic, economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said, in a surprise move reflecting growing concerns about the virus’s spread.
  
• A petition calling for the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics which garnered 350,000 signatures in nine days was submitted to organisers, reflecting growing public opposition to the event as a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections sweeps Japan.
  
• Indian health ministry data show 4,000 deaths and 343,144 infections over the last 24 hours. But a lack of testing in many places meant the official count omits many deaths and infections, prompting experts to estimate the real figures could be five to ten times higher.
  
• Taiwan reported another record rise in domestic Covid-19 cases with 29 new cases, as community transmissions in part of central Taipei spread.
  
• Almost half the Australians due to fly home on the first post-pause repatriation flight out of India have been thrown off the passenger list after they either tested positive to Covid-19 or were deemed close contacts of cases.
  
• Surge testing is under way in areas of north-west England where cases involving the variant first detected in India are on the increase. The UK government is under growing pressure to deploy “surge vaccinations” in Covid hotspots.
  
• The 2-metre social distancing rule in Wales will not change on Monday, mainly due to the variant first detected in India, first minister Mark Drakeford has said. He also urged “This is the year to take your holiday in Wales.”
  
• Scotland is experiencing a “loss of control” of the pandemic in some areas and it is premature to lift restrictions, an epidemiologist has warned.
  
• Infection rates are continuing to go down in Germany, with the crucial indicator of infections per 100,000 people over seven days dropping below the threshold mark of 100 on Friday for the first time since 20 March.
  
• Airbnb has reported a surge in bookings as coronavirus restrictions are eased in some countries.
  
• Greece has officially launched its tourism season as both the government and travel operators hope the country’s natural beauty will bring a much-needed revenue boost after last year’s miserable holiday season.
  
• Hong Kong is are barring 13,000 refugees from accessing Covid-19 vaccines.
  
• Singapore has announced the strictest curbs on social gatherings and public activities since easing a lockdown last year, amid a rise in locally acquired infections and with new coronavirus clusters forming in recent weeks.
  

Top UK stories so far today

• Second coronavirus jabs could be given to people living in areas with cases of new virus variants sooner than planned.
  
• Amid a steep rise in the number of cases of the virus variant first found in India, door-to-door surge testing begins in Bolton across 22,000 households.
  
• And vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has said the vaccines programme could be "flexed" to ensure enough doses go to affected areas.
  

It comes as:

• The government says there is currently "no firm evidence yet to show this variant has any greater impact on severity of disease or evades the vaccine"
  
• The introduction of local economic and social restrictions is not ruled out by ministers
  
• Zahawi suggests younger people who have yet to be vaccinated could be offered a jab sooner in areas where variants are growing
  
• Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford says he will delay a small number of further easements from Monday as a result of growing numbers of Indian variant cases
  
• It comes as people in Wales are advised to hold off foreign holidays for now - with only essential travel abroad permitted from Monday
  
• Research suggests Covid vaccines have saved 11,700 lives and 33,000 hospital admissions in the UK.
  

Latest across Europe

• Greece has formally begun its tourist season, with one in five workers dependent on the sector. The first tourist flights will arrive at Greece’s 14 regional airports today. Travel between Greek regions is resuming as the government says “we are putting lockdown behind us”. Greeks no longer have to send text messages before they travel or shop, but plenty of restrictions remain and an average of 2,000 cases a day are being reported. Any Greek wishing to travel has to use a Green pass. Greece isn’t yet on the UK’s list of countries that travellers can visit from 17 May, although officials hope that will soon change, especially for key islands such as Rhodes, Kos, Corfu and Crete.
  
• Tourists hoping to travel to Majorca and the other Balearic Islands this summer will have to content themselves without nightclubs. The head of government Francina Armengol, has told German media the priority now is for families, sport, culture and food tourists. “Nightlife will follow later," she says.
  
• Portugal has extended its state of calamity until 30 May but hasn’t yet decided whether to let in British tourists from Monday. Twelve thousand fans are being allowed in for the Champions League final on 29 May with tight restrictions.
  
• Spanish tourist bosses are hoping for their own nationals to help kickstart the local industry before foreign tourism resumes. Ramón Estalella, head of the confederation of hotels and accommodation, says Spaniards are “more eager to travel than we could possibly imagine”.
  
• More than half of Germany’s 16 states are now reporting seven-day incidence rates below 100 per 100,000 people. Bavaria is the latest state to see a decline, and nationally the incidence rate has gone below 100 for the first time since 20 March. Case numbers in the past 24 hours were still over 11,000.
  
• A survey suggests as many as 38% of French-speaking Belgians are refusing vaccinations, compared with 20% of Flemish Belgians. Covid hospital admissions in Belgium are falling and the number being treated is below 2,000.
  

What's causing the Bolton spike?

Bolton in Greater Manchester is one town that has seen a sharp spike in infections since mid-April - including cases of the virus variant first found in India. So how concerned should we be?
Like much of north-west England, Bolton saw a rise in coronavirus cases in October, a lull over Christmas, and then another wave in January.
By mid-April, lockdown had forced daily infections back almost to single figures locally. Then something worrying happened.
Read more from our health correspondent Jim Reed here.

Wales delays small number of easements due to variant

Wales will delay a small number of reopening measures on Monday in response to the rise in cases of the virus variant first found in India.
First Minister Mark Drakeford tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he has decided to hold back “just to make sure that we are continuing to take a cautionary approach in case the Indian variant is on the march”.
He says that - if advice from government scientific advisers suggests the next stages of Wales’ roadmap out of lockdown should be delayed - he would follow that guidance.
Drakeford confirms there are 17 cases of the Indian variant in Wales and says north Wales has close links with the North West of England.
He is due to make a fuller announcement at the next Welsh government Covid restrictions review press conference later.

Confusion over whether Portugal will accept UK tourists

There is confusion over whether UK tourists will be able to travel to Portugal from Monday, according to an MP in the country.
Cristovao Norte says a decision should be taken "immediately" over whether British tourists can travel to Portugal from 17 May.
Norte, who is MP for the Algarve, tells BBC Breakfast he does not know whether Britons will be allowed to visit the country next week.
He says: "We are today going to make an urgent inquiry asking the [Portuguese] government whether or not the English travel can come to Portugal next Monday because we are three days ahead from the 17th and no one is sure what is going to happen.”
Portugal is one of a handful of nations approved by the UK government for foreign leisure travel for people in England - but Portugal has not yet reciprocated the move.

Wales records 26 cases of Indian variant

Wales' First Minister says there are now 26 cases of the Indian variant of coronavirus across different parts of the country, with every case associated with foreign travel as opposed to community transmission.
Mark Drakeford says: "The travel is from India in particular, but there are probably some cases from the broader subcontinent."
Earlier we reported Wales would delay a small number of reopening measures that were due on Monday in the response to the rise in cases of the new variant.
Drakeford now says food festivals and small live music or arts events would be able to go ahead from next week if evidence about the Indian variant showed there was no need to pause the relaxing of more restrictions.
He tells the PA news agency: "If the advice is that we can move ahead safely, then we don't have to wait three weeks and we'll be able to do that as early as next week.
"If the advice is that we need to pause a bit longer while we get a better understanding of the scale of transmission of the Indian variant, particularly across our border, then we'll have to do that."
The FM is due to announce later that Wales will move to Covid alert level two from Monday.

All Jersey adults to receive jab offers by August

All adults on the island of Jersey will be offered a coronavirus vaccine by mid-August, health bosses have confirmed.
From Friday, people aged 30 to 34 can book their appointments for the jabs, which will begin on Saturday.
Jersey - a UK crown dependency and the largest of the Channel Islands - decided not to give the AstraZeneca jab to people under 40 after new advice was issued last week.
Read more here.

Guernsey travel restrictions relaxed further from 14 May

Travel restrictions in Guernsey will soon be relaxed even further.
From 14 May, passengers arriving from Category 2 areas - those with fewer than 30 cases per 100,000 people - will only have to isolate until their first negative Covid test result.
This includes Jersey, the Isle of Man and much of the UK.
But, they will have to pay £25 per test - on arrival and on day seven - unless they are travelling for medical or compassionate reasons.
Currently, all regions are classed as either Category 3 or 4.
The announcement, made by the Chief Minister at today's briefing, comes a week after the borders re-opened.

Guernsey has announced it will fully open its borders from 1 July and that there will be a relaxation of entry requirements for travel from the UK as early as 14 May, which should mean travel from UK is permitted from that date, please refer to the  entry requirements detailed here  https://www.visitguernsey.com

We understand that there is quite a lot of confusion around the criteria used to determine the categories for each country/region, and appreciate many of you have questions about it. The briefing will provide a detailed overview of the criteria and modelling used, and explain why.
See more

Wales to move to alert level two on Monday

Wales will move to alert level two of coronavirus restrictions, First Minister Mark Drakeford has announced.
Before giving more detail on which restrictions would be lifted, he told a coronavirus press conference he wanted to discuss the Indian variant.
He says: "This pandemic continues to be full of unpleasant twist and turns.
"We are closely monitoring the Indian variant which has caused 26 cases in Wales but more than 1,500 across our border in England.
"It appears to spread easily between person to person like the Kent variant now which is now widespread in the UK but it may travel even faster."
The UK Sage committee met yesterday to discuss the India variant and we will follow the latest scientific advice, he says.

Wales FM announces indoor hospitality reopening

Wales' first minister is outlining the places that can reopen on Monday when the country moves to alert level two

• Indoor hospitality for groups of six people from up to six households
  
• Holiday accommodation
  
• Cinemas, bowling alleys, bingo halls, indoor play centres, casinos, amusement arcades, theatres and concert halls
  
• Indoor visitor attractions
  
• Up to 30 people can take part in organised indoor activities
  
• And up to 50 people can participate in organised outdoor activities
  
• This includes wedding receptions and funeral wakes
  

Mark Drakeford says on 24 May the limit on the number of care home visitors will be lifted. You can see the rules in detail here.

Portugal to allow tourists from the UK

Tourists from the UK will be allowed to visit Portugal from Monday, the country's minister of state for foreign affairs has said.
Anyone arriving in the country will need to have had a PCR test 72 hours before departure, according to VisitPortugal, the website developed by the country's National Tourism Authority.
Work is also under way to ensure there is enough testing capacity in Portugal, it adds.
The announcement comes despite Portugal extending its "state of public calamity" on the mainland - the second highest level of alert - for a further 15 days from Monday, until 30 May.
Authorities in the UK already announced that travellers from England and Scotland wouldn't have to quarantine upon their return from Portugal and other "green list" countries from 17 May.
However, those countries have their own restrictions on who can visit.
At present, Portugal allows flights to and from the UK, but only for essential travel, such as for business, study, family reasons, health or humanitarian reasons.
Those travel restrictions will only be lifted from 17 May.

Wales to adopt foreign travel traffic light system

Wales will use the same traffic light system for international travel as the rest of the UK, the first minister says.
Mark Drakeford says everyone returning from a green list country will have to book and pay for a test on their return. They should use lateral flow tests to follow up on their negative test at home, he says.
"Here in Wales we will not adopt the English test to release scheme for travellers returning from amber list countries," he says.
"This is because the evidence we have is that about a third of people who develop coronavirus linked to travel do so five days after arriving back in Wales.
"I believe if ever there was a year to holiday at home and to enjoy everything that the wonders of Wales has to offer then this surely is the year to do just that."

Northern Ireland sees lowest weekly deaths since October

Northern Ireland has recorded its lowest weekly number of registered coronavirus-related deaths since October.
The NI Statistics and Research Agency (Nisra) says the virus was mentioned on the death certificates of three people in the week ending 7 May - a decrease of five on the previous week's toll.
It brings the agency's total of Covid-19 related registered deaths to 2,960.
Nisra counts deaths by recording mentions of the virus on death certificates, regardless of whether it was confirmed with a test.
As a result, its figures are higher than the Department of Health's total of 2,147 for the same date. That number is based on a positive test result being recorded.
Nisra has said it will end its weekly explanatory bulletin about Covid deaths and will only publish it when five or more deaths are recorded in a week.

How is Indian variant getting into Wales?

During a coronavirus press conference in Wales, the BBC's Sarah Dickens asks First Minister Mark Drakeford how the cases of the Indian variant are reaching Wales, how concerned he is and what actions he might consider.
Drakeford says the 26 cases are "almost entirely" the result of people returning to Wales from overseas travel and that all those involved are self-isolating with their households.
He says it's "not that we need to be overly concerned about the position in Wales at the moment, it's more that the significant spread of that Indian variant across our border is something we need to understand better".
He says there is a "significant cluster" of that variant in the north west of England, and that the border with the north east of Wales is "a very porous one, so we are keeping a particular watch on developments there".
He says if scientific advice is to "recalibrate" the vaccine programme to provide even more defence then the authorities will do so.

 

R number goes up in England

The R number - the number of people that someone infected with Covid-19 will pass the virus on to, on average - has risen slightly in England, figures show.
It means that, on average, every 10 people infected will infect between 8 and 11 other people.
Sage has also estimated a growth rate of between -3% and 1%.
This means that the number of new infections could be broadly flat, shrinking by up to 3% every day, or growing by up to 1% every day.
These estimates paint a picture of transmission between two and three weeks ago, rather than now. That's because there is a time delay between someone being infected, developing symptoms, and needing healthcare.

Greece ends lockdown measures and opens to tourists

Greece has launched its tourist season, lifting most remaining restrictions on movement and declaring "we are putting the lockdown behind us".
Although an average of 2,000 daily Covid cases are still being reported, vaccinations are being rolled out with the Greek islands as a priority.
German tourists have begun flying in, but Britons will not. The government has included Greece on its "amber list". For people in England, that means that leisure travel to Greece is not recommended, and arrivals require tests and isolation. There are similar rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Read more about the traffic light system of travel rules here.

Bolton in 'constructive' talks over surge jabs, says council leader

People in Bolton have been queuing for the vaccination centre at the Essa Academy

Bolton Council's leader has said there have been discussions with the government about the introduction of "surge" vaccinations in the area, where a high number of cases of the Indian variant have been recorded.
This would mean giving out extra doses of vaccine in the area to immunise a larger section of the population.
David Greenhalgh told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: "This is an issue of capacity but we have had very, very constructive talks and certainly all the soundings are is that they are looking to progress that as soon as possible."
He said the "vast majority" of cases are in their teens, 20s and 30s - and that getting those aged over 16 vaccinated "will make a total transformation of transmission as it moves forward".
Earlier, Downing Street declined to say whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) needed to sign off on surge jabs in some areas.
Asked about it during a Westminster briefing with reporters, the prime minister's spokesman said the JCVI's "remit is to advise on the prioritisation order and set out the details and the rationale of that to government".
He added: "Throughout the vaccination programme, we have accepted their advice and we have rolled out the vaccinations accordingly."

Can the COP26 climate summit really be in-person?

David Shukman - Science editor, BBC News

The official poster for the rescheduled COP26 summit

It’s as if two universes are running in parallel – one focused on climate, the other on Covid.
How the two intersect will determine whether or how the crucial COP26 summit on climate change goes ahead in Glasgow in November.
On the one hand, health experts, trying to keep a lid on the new Indian variant, are sounding cautious about allowing too many people to mix.
On the other, the man in charge of the summit, former Business Secretary Alok Sharma, spoke with determination this morning about testing, vaccines and "other measures" to keep the conference and Glasgow itself safe.
Given the importance of the gathering, one option might be to send doses to the delegates of countries that don’t yet have them.
But that would raise an ethical question about whether healthcare workers in those countries – some of the world’s poorest - should be vaccinated instead.
Sharma has promised we’ll hear more about his plans soon.

Turkish Grand Prix cancelled

The Turkish Grand Prix has been cancelled just six weeks after it was put on the Formula 1 calendar, and has been replaced by a second race in Austria.
Turkey was added to the F1 schedule between 11 and 13 June to replace the Canadian Grand Prix - which was cancelled because of pandemic travel restrictions in Canada.
But Turkey has now become unworkable after being put on the UK's Covid "red list" of high-risk countries.
F1 will instead run a race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria between 25 and 27 June.
Read more from BBC Sport's Andrew Benson here.

Which countries are on the green list for foreign holidays?

As Portugal opens its borders to UK tourists from Monday, it's worth reminding ourselves which countries are on the UK's travel green list.
From Monday, foreign travel is allowed for people who live in England, Scotland and Wales, but the latter has asked people to put leisure plans on hold for now.
A traffic light system will divide destinations into three categories - green, amber and red.
The initial 12 countries on the green list include Portugal, Israel, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Many popular destinations, including France and Spain, are on the amber list, while the UAE - home to beach favourite Dubai - is on the red list.
You can read more on the list and the rules around it here.

New outbreak in central China forces parts of city into lockdown

Kerry Allen - BBC Monitoring, Chinese Media Analyst
A fresh outbreak of Covid-19 has been reported in China – in the eastern Chinese province of Anhui.
In the past 48 hours, three symptomatic cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the city of Lu’an and Feixi County.
This has meant two neighbourhoods in Lu’an have now become “medium risk”, meaning local lockdown measures are in place. Apartment buildings where patients have tested positive are in lockdown, and a citywide testing drive will now take place over the next three days. Large-scale events such as exhibitions have been cancelled.
One of the patients, surnamed Li, has recently returned from outside of the province. She had been travelling in the eastern city of Dalian, and so residents in that city have also been instructed to get tested if they were on the same flights or trains as Ms Li.
It is unclear what the source of this latest outbreak is. The authorities in Dalian have said Ms Li has “no history of contact with immigrants” while she was in the city.
This outbreak comes as China’s top health authority is today warning China has been seeing an increased number of import patients testing positive with Covid-19 mutant variants. State media are urging “accelerated” vaccination to prevent a similar situation to India.

Explained: Why was India not put on the red list sooner?

Politicians have questioned why it appeared to take so long for the UK to place India on its travel red list - therefore requiring all arrivals to quarantine in hotels.
Even as India reported growing numbers of cases and deaths, it continued to be on the amber travel list - requiring arrivals to isolate at home and conduct several Covid tests.
As the BBC's Reality Check team explains, red list decisions are based on Joint Biosecurity Centre risk assessments.
Read more about them here.

 

UK records 17 Covid deaths

There have been a further 17 coronavirus-related deaths in the UK, according to the government's daily figures.
The total number of people to die within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test is now 127,668.
There were also 2,193 new infections recorded today.

 

Moray and Glasgow to stay at level three for another week

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says she has taken the "difficult decision" in the past half hour that Moray and Glasgow will stay at level three restrictions for another week.
She says the situation in Moray is improving but case numbers are more than double the Scottish average.
She says similar reasoning has been applied to the situation in Glasgow which is "causing even more concern at this stage".
She says cases in Glasgow have risen to 80 per 100,000 and test positivity is at 35.5%.
Evidence suggests the outbreak which is heavily centred in the south side of Glasgow is being driven by the Indian variant.
In Moray cases are 69 per 100,000 - more than double the Scottish average.
You can read more on this breaking story here.

Heavy indication Indian variant is at play in Scotland - Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon says the Scottish government does not yet have the genomic sequencing data to know definitively if the Indian variant is driving a surge in cases.
She says more test results are showing signs of a different variant and factors such as the demographics in Glasgow are "heavily indicative that the Indian variant is at play".
She says Scotland has been vaccinating younger age groups as part of the response in Moray and talks will be held over whether this should be rolled out in Glasgow.
"I'm pretty sure there will be an accelerating vaccine aspect to this," Sturgeon adds. But she says she is awaiting further advice from the JCVI on the effect of the vaccine on the Indian variant.

No travel in or out of Moray or Glasgow - Sturgeon

People living in Moray and Glasow will not be allowed to travel in or out of the areas except for in permitted circumstances but businesses affected will be offered extra financial support, Scotlands first minister says.
Nicola Sturgeon says the decision to keep both places in level three coronavirus restrictions by "pressing pause for a few days" will avoid even more restrictive measures over the next few weeks.
She says Moray Council will receive £375,000 and Glasgow City Council £1.05m per week. This will allow them to give £750 a week to hospitality and leisure businesses that will not be able to honour bookings made next week.

Covid cases mean Australia repatriation flight from India not full

Dozens of passengers booked on Australia's first repatriation flight from India will reportedly not be able to take it after testing positive for Covid or being close contacts of cases.
The flight was supposed to bring 150 Australian citizens home following a backlash over a three-week ban on anyone entering from Covid-hit India.
But local media reports suggest the plane may now take off half empty. Australia's strict rules mean the seats cannot be given to others in the queue.
Sunny Joura is one of those barred from the flight. He tells the BBC he has been trying to get home to Australia for the past 11 months, only to test positive for Covid hours before the plane was due to fly.
There are 9,500 Australians stranded in India at the moment, including 950 people registered as vulnerable and 173 unaccompanied minors.
Read the full story here.

Scotland: What's the difference between level two and three?

Scotland's first minister has just announced Moray and Glasgow must remain under level three coronavirus restrictions while the rest of the mainland moves to level two on Monday. So what do these levels mean for people living in Scotland?
Level two
Most areas will move to this level, which allows six people from three households to meet inside and stay overnight. There is no need to physically distance from family and friends in a private home. Travel around Scotland is permitted but you cannot enter somewhere with level three restrictions. You can also go to other parts of the UK as long as you follow their rules. Shops and leisure attractions are open, but soft play, funfairs and nightclubs remain closed.
Level three
Moray and Glasgow will remain in level three where six people from two households can gather at an indoor public place such as a cafe or restaurant. Groups of up to six from six households can meet outdoors, but there can be no indoor visits to private homes
. Going inside someone's living accommodation is only permitted for essential purposes or if you are in an extended household. Shops and many leisure facilities can open, but cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, concert halls and stadiums cannot.
You can read an explanation of the various levels here.

Ireland should not open UK travel routes due to worrying emergence of Indian variant

The Irish Post
The Irish government is being encouraged to delay the reopening of travel routes to and from the UK due to the troubling emergence of the Indian variant in parts of England.
Infectious diseases expert, Professor Sam McConkey, has warned that the variant has the potential to spark a "fourth wave" if it isn't properly contained.
He added that Ireland should avoid taking any risks while the nation's vaccine rollout is still finding its feet.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Prof McConkey said that recent data indicates a "huge jump" in the Indian variant in some parts of the UK, in spite of high levels of vaccinations.
"We don't want to negate the wonderful work of the vaccination programme," he said.
The number of Indian variant cases identified in the UK has more than doubled in a week, jumping from 520 to 1,313.
The troubling statistics mean that British health experts are currently reconsidering the plan to lift all pandemic-related restrictions on June 21.
There's currently no concrete evidence to suggest that the Indian variant is resistant to any of the existing Covid-19 vaccines, but experts are concerned nonetheless because it's considered to be a more transmissible strain.
That being said, unlike the South African variant, the Indian variant is not a double-mutation of coronavirus, which increases the chances of vaccines being ineffective.

Ireland's HSE under 'major' cyber attack as systems shut down

Harry Brent - The Irish Post
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has been forced to shut down its IT system following a "significant ransomware attack".
The HSE were made aware of the attack during the night and were forced to shut down all national and local IT systems in order to protect them.
CEO of the HSE Paul Reid described the situation as a "major incident", adding that that the attack was "quite sophisticated."
Although the HSE has confirmed that patient safety has not been compromised, it isn't yet known whether or not the hackers have had access to patient record and other personal information.
"There is a significant ransomware attack on the HSE IT systems," the HSE said in a statement.
"We have taken the precaution of shutting down all our IT systems in order to protect them from this attack and to allow us to fully assess the situation with our own security partners."
It's understood that a ransom demand has not been yet.
"We are at the very early stages of fully understanding the threat, the impacts," Reid said on RTÉ's Morning Ireland.
"We did become aware of it during the night, we've been acting on it straight away. The major priority is to contain this, but is is what we call a human-operated ransomware attack, where they would seek to get access to data and seek a ransom for it."
It's understood that a ransom demand has not been yet.
Mr Reid said that there'd be an update on precisely what the attack means for the system's services later on today.
"[For now] everyone should continue to come forward [for hospital appointments] until they hear something different from us, in terms of services impacted."
It's understood that the Covid-19 vaccination programme hasn't been affected by the attack.

Irish doctor warns 'people could die' because of HSE cyber attack

An Irish doctor has warned that people's lives could be at stake following the cyber attack which struck the HSE during the night.
It was confirmed this morning that Ireland's Health Service Executive had been hit by a "significant ransomware attack".
HSE chief Paul Reid said that all computers had been shut down in order to protect them, as the attack has impacted all of its national and local IT systems, which are involved in all core services.
While patients are being encouraged to go ahead with their appointments as planned, the day has been plagued by severe disruptions, and Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital has been forced into making hundreds of cancellations.
Without knowing how long the systems will be down for, there's a genuine threat to patient safety, and one doctor even warned that people could die as a result of the crisis, because almost everything is run exclusively through computers and over the internet.
"I cannot begin to describe how serious this is," the unnamed doctor told Extra.ie.
"We came in this morning and we couldn’t tell what patients were admitted overnight, who we had under our care or where in the hospital they were.
"When we found them, we weren’t able to look up any of their records and we weren’t even capable of pulling their charts as they’re electronically tagged.
"Patients who are presenting with very serious issues are now unlikely to be able to have the appropriate investigations or procedures done. Everything’s been cancelled.
"It’s literally just gone back to the stone age at present.
"We’re trying to get engineers in to separate all of the tech from the internet so that we can use them but at the moment, nothing is working and it’s just an utter shambles."

PM: Step 3 will go ahead, but moving to step 4 could be difficult

The PM says the government will proceed with the plan to move to step three of England's roadmap out of lockdown from Monday.
"But I have to level with you that this new variant could pose a serious disruption to our progress and could make it more difficult to move to step four in June," he says.
"I must stress that we will do whatever it takes to keep the public safe."

PM urges people to be cautious

The PM urges people "to exercise the greatest caution because the choices we each make in the coming days will have a material effect" on England's progress.
"We won't be preventing businesses from reopening on Monday but we will be asking you do to your bit," he says.
That includes getting the vaccine when eligible, getting free lateral flow tests and isolating when asked.

PM: No further restrictions on Bolton and Blackburn

Boris Johnson says he is "very sorry" for those living in Bolton and Blackburn where there is a surge of the Indian variant and he will not impose further restrictions on them.
He says advanced surveillance and data gathering means if there is a danger of the NHS coming under unsustainable pressure we would see the signs early on and could react in good time.

PM: Restrictions would be brought in to stop NHS being overwhelmed

Responding to a question from a member of the public, Mr Johnson says the government would "implement further restrictions immediately" as soon as it saw "there was a risk of really serious increase of hospitalisations" that could overwhelm the NHS.

Analysis: PM was under pressure not to delay lockdown easing

Iain Watson - Political correspondent
Boris Johnson was under huge political pressure in particular from his own side of the Commons not delay the further lifting of restrictions on Monday.
And the Conservative leader of Bolton council said imposing local restrictions could be counter productive – creating an incentive to move around and potentially spread the new variant further.
But his policy now contrasts with the Scottish government which isn’t easing restrictions in Glasgow and Moray due to case rates, so opposition voices may soon urge greater caution in England too.
The prime minister is also likely to be asked whether he added India swiftly enough to the ‘red list’ which would have meant hotel quarantine for all arrivals from there.

Army deployed to North West to respond to Indian variant

The PM says Colonel Russell Miller, commander army HQ north west, is being deployed to support local leaders in managing the response to the Indian variant on the ground.
The response will include surge testing, mobile tesing units and the army will be on the streets handing out tests.
There will be "targeted new activity" in Bolton and Blackburn to accelerate the vaccine take-up, including longer opening hours at vaccination sites.
"We are going to have to live with this new variant of the virus for some time," Johnson says.

Analysis: PM's caution will concern some Conservative MPs

Iain Watson - Political correspondent
With overall cases and hospitalisations low, the Conservative MPs in the Covid Recovery Group – who are concerned about the economic effects of the lockdowns – will be hugely concerned that the prime minister is not committing himself to "freedom day" on 21 June in England.
This is when the roadmap envisaged social distancing measures being lifted. But if the Indian variant is very much more transmissible, Boris Johnson has warned of difficult choices ahead.

What did we learn from the Downing Street briefing?

Missed this evening's briefing? Here's what you need to know:

• Boris Johnson said the Indian variant could pose "serious disruption" to lockdown easing in England on 21 June if it were found to be "significantly" more transmissible. While the briefing was under way, we heard from government scientific advisers, Sage, that there was a "realistic possibility that it is as much as 50% more transmissible" than other variants.
  
• In response to concern over the variant, the PM announced that the wait between jabs will be cut from 12 weeks to eight for the over-50s and clinically vulnerable.
  
• He said there was "no evidence to suggest that our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation".
  
• Surge testing is already taking place in 15 areas across England, including Bolton, Blackburn, London, Sefton and Nottingham.
  
• The Army will be deployed on the streets of Blackburn and Bolton to help with the surge testing efforts.
  

You can read our full story here.

'I lost both parents to Covid within an hour'

Before Christmas, Graeme Carling didn't know anyone who had caught Covid. But within the space of less than an hour one evening in January, the virus changed his and his family's lives forever.
The CEO of investment company United Capital has told the BBC how he lost his mother and father to Covid within an hour.
At the start of the year, his mother, Margaret, died three weeks after contracting coronavirus. As he left the hospice where she'd slipped away, he got a phone call about his father, Graeme senior.
"They said he was doing okay, the oxygen was working, he did need it but they would have liked to have seen more progress," he said.


Margaret was 65 and her husband Graeme was 66. They were married for 47 years.

By the time Graeme was driving home with his wife Leanne, he got another call.
"The doctor was in a distressed state because I had just spoken to her 15 minutes before and by the time she had gone back to the ward, my dad had passed also," he said.
"It was so surreal. I was in complete shock."
You can read Graeme's story here.

Russia resumes some regular air travel

Russia will restart regular air travel between Iceland, Malta, Mexico, Portugal and Saudi Arabia from May 25, the government’s coronavirus response headquarters said.
The decision was made with regard to the epidemiological situation in the countries, the government team said and added the decision was made on a mutual basis, Reuters reports.

Evening summary

The Guardian
Here is a roundup of all the latest developments from across the world:

• France has added Bahrain, Colombia, Costa Rica and Uruguay to its list of countries deemed as high-risk zones. This will mean that people arriving from those countries will have to undergo quarantine measures on arrival.
  
• The Lithuanian government to donate 200,000 Covid-19 vaccine shots to its eastern European neighbours, including 100,000 to Ukraine, 15,000 going to Georgia and 11,000 to Moldova. The remaining 74,000 shots will be decided later.
  
• Stocks fall as Singapore announced on Friday its strict guidelines on gatherings and public activities, amid a rise in infections and new clusters forming in recent weeks.
  
• The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said it expects the second batch of its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine will be delivered to India by the end of the week.
  
• Since the coronavirus outbreak began, at least 3,346,813 people have died due to a tally combined from official sources by AFP.
  
• British holidaymakers will be allowed to enter Portugal as of midnight on May 17th. Travellers will need a negative PCR test 72hrs before their flight to gain entry into the country.
  
• India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he feels the pain of all Indians battling the pandemic after weeks of mainly avoiding public comment on the country’s fatal coronavirus wave.
  
• The Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has said that a state of emergency was being extended to a broader area due to a rapid rise of Covid-19 cases in those regions.
  
• An international cybercrime gang has been announced as being behind a significant ransomware attack on Ireland’s health service operator that halted diagnostic services on Friday and led to the cancellation of appointments.
  
• World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the second year of the pandemic was set to be more deadly than the first, with India a considerable concern.
  
• Delta Air Lines will require all new hires in the United States to be vaccinated against Covid-19, becoming one of the first major companies to issue this requirement.
  
• Italy has lifted quarantine rules for all travellers from the European Union, including the UK and Israel, upon their arrival, health authorities announced.
  
• Slovakia ends its state of emergency as the coronavirus pandemic has receded.
  
• Dutch tourists who visit Spain’s Balearic and the Canary Islands will no longer have to take a coronavirus test on their way home.
  
• Germany plans to classify Britain as a coronavirus risk region due to the emergence of the highly infectious variant first detected in India, government sources said on Friday.
  
• Turkey is to ease coronavirus restrictions, emerging out of a complete lockdown, President Erdogan has said today. The country has been in a lockdown for two weeks after daily new cases rocketed to above 60,000.
  
• France will have administered at least one Covid-19 vaccine injection to 20 million people by Saturday, Health Minister Olivier Veran said on his Twitter feed.
  
• The B.1.617.2 variant first found in India will, over time, surpass the variant first discovered in Kent and become dominant in the UK, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said on Friday.
  

A look at today's coronavirus news

It's been a busy day, with briefings from the prime minister and the first ministers of Scotland and Wales. All three addressed measures to tackle rising cases of the Indian variant.

Here's the latest from the UK:

• There is a "realistic possibility" that the Indian variant is as much as 50% more transmissible, according to the government's scientific advisers.
  
• PM Boris Johnson says we could face "hard choices" about the lifting of all restrictions in England on 21 June - but the rise in cases does not change plans to move to step three of lockdown easing on Monday.
  
• In Scotland, Glasgow and Moray will remain under current restrictions for at least another week after a rise in cases, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.
  
• And as Wales moves to level two next week, First Minister Mark Drakeford said hopes to allow small events and greater mixing between households have been put on pause.
  

And from the rest of the world:

• The Portuguese government has announced British tourists will be allowed to enter the country from Monday.
  
• The World Health Organization has urged wealthier nations to postpone plans to give children and teenagers Covid vaccines and instead donate supplies to low-income countries.
  
• And dozens of passengers booked on Australia's first repatriation flight from India will reportedly not be able to take it after testing positive for Covid or being close contacts of cases.
  

That's it from us

Thanks for tuning into today's live updates, which were written by George Bowden, Jennifer Meierhans and Justin Parkinson.
They were edited by James Clarke, Vanessa Barford and Hazel Shearing.