PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed that 2,944 more cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Ireland.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has reported that 13 more people in Ireland have died with Covid-19.

The total number of people who have died now stands at 2,608, while the number of cases has reached 172,726.

Of the cases notified today:

• 1,336 are men and 1,578 are women
• 57% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 40 years old
• 1,065 cases are in Dublin, 306 in Cork, 181 in Galway, 180 in Kildare, 160 in Limerick and the remaining 1,052 cases are spread across all other counties.

As of 2pm today, 1,928 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised of whom 195 are in ICU.

68 additional hospitalisations were made in the last 24 hours. 

The median age of those who died recorded in today’s figures is 83 years, and the age range is 66 to 97 years.

None of the newly reported deaths were among healthcare workers or any person under the age of 30. 

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that “the situation in our hospitals is stark”.

“We are seeing people of all ages being admitted to hospital and being taken into intensive care units,” Dr Holohan said.

“The levels of infection are such that your chances of transmitting or getting COVID-19 are very high, and we know that a proportion of those cases will lead to serious illness and mortality,” he said.

There is no group who should feel the public health advice does not apply to them. It is only if we act together that we can keep ourselves, our loved ones, and health and social care facilities safe.” 

“As we look forward to the week ahead, consider your choices and make the right ones. Do not go into work tomorrow if you can work from home. If you are an employer, facilitate remote working for your employees.” 

The national 14-day incidence of Covid-19 currently stands at 1,487.9 per 100,000.

Yesterday, there were 60 deaths and 3,231 new cases confirmed in Ireland.

Deaths of people with Covid-19 are not reported in real time but may have occurred over a period of several days.

The number of deaths reported on a given day, therefore, does not necessarily mean that a person with Covid-19 died within the previous 24-hour period or even the preceding few days.

In the early days of the pandemic, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan urged families, despite the difficulty, to register their loved ones deaths as early as possible so that health officials could gain an accurate picture of mortality.

Essentially, there is a delay between when a person dies from Covid-19 and the National Public Health Emergency Team being informed of their passing.

Additional reporting by Cónal Thomas