THE NUMBER OF Covid-19 patients being treated in Irish hospitals has fallen to its lowest level since early October, as a gradual decline in the figure in recent weeks continues. 

Latest figures from the HSE show there were 165 people being treated for Covid-19 in Irish hospitals last night, the lowest number since 8 October.

There number of patients in critical care with Covid-19 rose slightly however. Figures show that 48 people were in ICU receiving treatment for the virus at 6.30pm last night, up one from 24 hours previously.

Of these, 29 patients were receiving ventilation care.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly also announced this morning that 13 new walk-in test centres will open across the country in the coming days. 

Three of the new centres will be based in Dublin, with one each in Leitrim, Galway, Donegal, Roscommon, Tipperary, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Wicklow and Westmeath.

Meanwhile, a senior Government official has warned that Ireland is at arguably its “trickiest moment” as it begins to ease Covid-19 public health restrictions

Assistant secretary general at the Department of the Taoiseach Liz Canavan said that people can afford to be “cautiously optimistic” but they need to “stay vigilant”.

“We need a bit more time to ensure that those who are most vulnerable are vaccinated and a higher proportion of the broader population is vaccinated,” she said.

“What we’re doing is working so we can afford to be cautiously optimistic. We should be able to look forward to further relaxation of restrictions in the coming months but we still have to go easy for the next while.

“The careful and staggered relaxing of restrictions has to be at just the right pace so that we don’t get ahead of ourselves so the disease incidence and the protection the vaccine brings aren’t in balance.

“Arguably this is the trickiest moment and we don’t want to mis-step now.”