PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed 4,163 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland this afternoon.

As of 8am today, 545 hospital patients have Covid-19, including 117 who are in ICU.

Yesterday, 3,793 new cases were confirmed while 578 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, of whom 117 were in ICU.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) said yesterday that there had been 55 deaths notified to them in the past week, bringing Ireland’s total to 5,707.

Deaths related to Covid-19 are being announced on a weekly basis.

“The additional efforts to adhere to the public health measures we have all been taking over the last few weeks are having a positive impact. We are beginning to see stabilisation in a range of key indicators of incidence of Covid-19,” Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said. 

“Stabilisation is happening at too high a level. The current high incidence is driven by the Delta variant, which, coupled with the presence of the Omicron variant, means that the trajectory of the disease remains uncertain,” Dr Holohan said. 

He noted that in the last seven days, 478 people with Covid-19 were admitted to hospital with 46 people admitted to ICU.

“We know that public health measures we are all familiar with work to limit transmission of Covid-19 in the community. Choosing to follow the public health advice is difficult, particularly at this time of year, however, is it the key to changing the trajectory of the disease,” Dr Holohan said. 

“Please continue to wash your hands regularly, keep your distance, choose outdoors instead of indoors for meeting up and open windows indoors, use good respiratory hygiene, reduce your social contacts and wear your mask if is recommended for you,” he added. 

Dr Holohan said that “in the over 75 age group, where people have been taking up the offer of a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in high numbers, we are seeing significant reductions in the incidence of disease”.

“This is another positive development and further evidence that getting a third dose of Covid-19 vaccine helps to protect from the most severe effects of Covid-19. I urge everyone, when your turn comes, take the vaccine that is offered to you as soon as it is available,” he said. 

With reporting by Jane Moore