PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have recorded 5,677 positive PCR cases of Covid-19 in Ireland today.

Additionally, 5,578 positive antigen tests have been registered through the HSE website for a combined total of 11,255.

A total of 63 deaths related to Covid-19 have been newly notified in the past week, bringing the total number of deaths to 6,291 since the beginning of the pandemic. 

 As of 8am this morning, 627 patients with Covid-19 were in hospital, including 68 in intensive care.

Yesterday, the Department of Health reported an additional 3,780 positive PCR-confirmed cases and 5,585 positive antigen tests, with 646 people in hospital and 72 of those in ICU.

There were 92 deaths notified last Wednesday from the previous seven days.

A change to the daily figures

Since last week, the Department of Health has decided to release Covid-19 case numbers from Monday to Friday, rather than over the weekend. 

Figures will be released on Mondays pertaining to the preceding days over the weekend.

Daily information on people with Covid-19 in hospital and intensive care will continue to be updated daily on the Covid-19 Data Hub.

Since last month, people are now able to register positive antigen tests through an online HSE system.

As a result, health authorities are now releasing two individual case numbers – laboratory-confirmed PCR results, and self-reported antigen results.

People aged 4-39 are asked to only test themselves for Covid-19 through antigen tests, and those who test positive via antigen are no longer required to seek a confirmatory PCR test, meaning there will be an artificial decline in these figures.

With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha.