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Ireland will “not be paying any ransom” to the hackers that compromised the HSE IT systems this morning, according to the Taoiseach.
The HSE has shut down its computer systems after a
A ransomware’ attack involves hackers gaining access to an entities data and threatening to publish it or encrypt it unless a ransom is paid.
Officials have confirmed that a ransom demand has been made – and warned that it could take days to fix the system.
Speaking after his meeting with the UK Prime Minister today, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ireland will not be paying any ransom.
It comes in the wake of health experts limiting the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine this week.
Monaghan-based GP Dr Illona Duffy said up to 50 of her patients had refused vaccine appointments this week following the National Immunisation Advisory Committee’s restriction of the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in under-60s due to extremely rare blood-clotting concerns.
The increase in public concern prompted HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry to say: ‘You’ve much more to fear from the virus than you have from the vaccine.’
One unidentified medical practice reported to RTÉ’s Prime Time on Thursday that a third of its patients had turned down inoculation this week, amid safety concerns. The Irish Daily Mail spoke to a number of GPs who all reported some.
The most worrying outbreaks of COVID-19 across the State happened in nursing homes throughout the pandemic.
This was as a result of the age of residents at those homes and as a result of health issues experienced by those residents.
Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid has revealed that COVID-19 positivity rates in nursing homes have fallen to their lowest point since testing began. Pic: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland
Nursing home residents were among the first people to be vaccinated in Ireland and it would appear the vaccination process is having a big impact on the spread of the virus in those settings.
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