LAST UPDATE | 14 Feb 2021

A FURTHER 788 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has said this evening.

In a statement, it said that a further 17 people confirmed to have Covid-19 have died.

15 of these deaths occurred in February and one in December, with the date of the last death still under investigation.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Ireland is 3,948, and the total number of confirmed cases is now at  209,582.

The median age of people who died included in today’s figure was 80 years and the age range was 50-92 years. 

Of the cases notified today:

• 409 are men and 371 are women
• 71% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 31 years old
• 315 in Dublin, 61 in Galway, 59 in Meath, 42 in Louth, 33 in Kildare and the remaining 278 cases are spread across all other counties.

At 8am today, there were 899 Covid-19 patients in hospital, of whom 160 are in ICU. 34 additional hospitalisations have been made in the past 24 hours.

The national 14-day  incidence rate now stands at 277.2 per 100,000 people.

Validation of data at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre led to the identification of two cases that were previously confirmed, which is reflected in the current running total of 209,582. 

Vaccinations of GPs continued this weekend, with the HSE hopeful that the vast majority would have received their first dose ahead of the rollout to over-85s due to begin tomorrow. 

The Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines are being given at centres in Dublin, Portlaoise and Galway, with 1,800 expected to receive their second dose.

Among those helping to administer vaccines at the Portlaoise centre was Defence Forces doctor, Captain Fiachra Lambe.

He told the PA news agency: “It’s really positive. Lots of relief, lots of happiness, lots of people saying that it gives them a bit of hope for the future. It’s a really nice thing to be involved in these days.

“It’s positive, it’s people seeing change in progress and seeing light at the end of the tunnel.”

As of 11 February, 261,073 doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland, including 171,239 people who have received their first dose and 89,834 who have received their second dose. 

With reporting from PA and Lauren Boland