LAST UPDATE | 11 Apr 2021

PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed that two more people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland.

Additionally, 303 more cases of Covid-19 have been recorded, the lowest number of daily cases since the middle of December.

The total number of Covid-19 cases since the outbreak of the virus here last year now stands at 240,945.

The number of people who have died has reached 4,785.

One of the deaths reported today occurred in April and the other is from March.

Of the cases notified today, 167 are men and 135 are women.

75% are under 45 and the median age is 32.

Today is the first time the daily cases reported has dropped to near or below 300 since 14 December, when 264 cases were recorded before the figures began to rise.

The five day moving average of cases stands at 410.

Validation of data by the Heatlh Protection Surveillance Centre has led to the denotification of one case that was previously confirmed, which is reflected in the current running total. 

As of Friday, 9 April, 1,045,919 vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland, including 735,997 first doses and 309,922 second doses.

Most of these – 767,537 – are the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, along with 230,892 doses of AstraZeneca and 47,490 of Moderna. 

Acting Chief Medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that there are “many reasons for hope as we head into a new week”.

“This is the lowest number of daily cases reported since mid December. People’s efforts continue to make a real difference; by keeping our social contacts low we are making it much harder for Covid-19 to spread,” Dr Glynn said.

“This morning we had the lowest number of people newly hospitalised with Covid-19 since the end of November. Last week the millionth vaccine was given and this week should see a step-change in the number of doses administered,” he said.

“All of our children are going back to school tomorrow From tomorrow we can travel within our county.”

Dr Glynn said that “if we can maintain this progress, vaccines and the basic public health measures with which we are all so familiar are our way out of this pandemic”.

He asked people to continue to work from home where possible and avoid mixing indoors with other households.

“Even if meeting outdoors, please watch your distance and only meet up with people from one other household at a time,” Dr Glynn said.

“If you have any symptoms of Covid-19, isolate and contact your GP to arrange a free test,” he said.

“Remember you are not properly protected until 2 weeks after your second COVID-19 vaccination.”