PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed 1,453 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

As of 8am today, there were 300 patients with Covid-19 in hospital, including 60 in ICU.

Yesterday, there were 1,499 new cases of Covid-19, 300 people in hospital with the illness and 63 in ICU.

Deaths are being announced weekly due to the HSE data breach in May – as of today, a total of 5,249 people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland.

That includes 40 additional deaths that have been notified since last week. However, that does not necessarily mean that the deaths occurred in the past week as the system in Ireland allows a period of time for families to register the death of a relative.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have seen Irish people make extraordinary efforts to drive down incidence of Covid-19 by following the public health advice,” Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said in a statement this evening.

“More recently, the response to Ireland’s vaccination programme has been heartening, and now just under 91% of the population aged 16 years and older are fully protected through vaccination. Our collective efforts have protected thousands of people from experiencing the worst outcomes from Covid-19,” Dr Holohan said.

“As more of the activities we enjoy become available to us this week, it is important that we continue this national effort to break the chains of transmission of Covid-19. Vaccination remains our best means of protection and, if vaccination is available to you, then I strongly encourage you to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said.

“Continue to regularly wash hands, wear a mask when appropriate – particularly in retail settings, on public transport and in healthcare settings; keep your distance, open windows and ventilate indoor spaces,” he added.

“If you display symptoms of Covid-19 like cough, fever, fatigue, headache, or sore throat – isolate and contact your GP who will advise if you need to arrange a test.”

With reporting by Hayley Halpin