DUBLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Ireland's government agreed on
Wednesday to fund the purchase of COVID-19 antiviral drugs from
GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Merck.
Ireland plans to purchase the drugs through the European
Union's procurement process and by dealing directly with the
companies, the health ministry said in a statement.
Local media reported that ministers had agreed to set aside
90 million euros for the treatments which countries around the
world are scrambling to secure. The health ministry did not say
how many courses it would seek to purchase.
"This will be an additional tool to the range we currently
have at our disposal to deal with COVID-19. The primary one of
course remains the vaccines," Prime Minister Micheál Martin told
a news conference.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)