PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed 1,631 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

As of 8am today, there were 503 Covid-19 patients in hospital, of which 101 are in ICU.

Yesterday, there were 2,193 new cases of Covid-19, 513 people with the virus in hospital and 97 in ICU.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) said that there had been 67 deaths notified to them in the past week, bringing Ireland’s total to 5,436.

Last Wednesday, NPHET said there had been 63 deaths notified in the past week, and the previous Wednesday they said there had been 26.

Deaths related to Covid-19 are being announced on a weekly basis, with health authorities citing the HSE data breach in May as the reason for this.

It does not necessarily mean all deaths confirmed today occurred in the past week, as the system in Ireland allows a period of time for families to register the death of a relative.

The deaths announced today are the number of Covid-19 related deaths reported to health authorities in the past seven days.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn said in a press briefing this afternoon that 14 of the 67 deaths announced today happened in the past week.

A further 44 were in October and 9 happened in September.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said in a statment accompanying today’s figures: 

“Incidence of Covid-19 is increasing at a concerning rate. The seven-day moving average is now 2,043, up from 1,138 only three weeks ago. Incidence is increasing across all age groups, highest in those aged 5-12.

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“A combination of higher levels of social contact, a move to socialisation indoors and a collective relaxing of basic public health behaviours combined has led to this surge of infection.

The importance of individual, institutional and sectoral attention to risk mitigation is crucial at this point. I encourage all of us to ensure we are allowing basic public health advice and to expect the presence of infection prevention control measures in settings we visit.

Glynn added: “There is no one intervention that will protect you and those around you from contracting Covid-19. We need a muti-layered approach to this disease, using all the tools we have at our disposal; vaccination, wearing a face mask, well ventilated spaces indoors, hand hygiene and cough etiquette, social distancing when appropriate and isolating at the onset of symptoms.

These measures combined are the most effective way you can protect yourself and loved ones from Covid-19.

Professor Breda Smyth, Director of Public Health, HSE West, added that “incidence is growing across the population”.

“High community incidence threatens all settings. A particular concern is for environments with vulnerable people, such as nursing homes, hospital and care environments and long term residential facilities,” Smyth said.

“High community transmission poses a substantial risk to this population. A combined effort to reduce incidence is needed to protect the most vulnerable.”

- With reporting from Hayley Halpin.