LAST UPDATE | 8 Jan 2022

HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE reported an additional 26,122 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland today.

As of 8am this morning, 917 people were in hospital with the virus, 83 of whom were receiving treatment in intensive care.

Yesterday, there were 21,926 new confirmed cases, 936 in hospital and 84 in ICU. 

Children 5-11

All children 5-11 years olds who are registered for the vaccine will be able to get the first dose from today. 

In a statement yesterday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Council Professor Karina Butler encouraged parents and guardians to bring their children to receive a jab.

UK record

More than 150,000 people have died after catching coronavirus in the United Kingdom, the government said today, in a milestone for one of the worst affected countries in Europe.

The government reported that deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test had reached 150,057 since the start of the pandemic. Russia is the only European country with a higher death toll.

The number of daily reported cases has fallen since a record figure of more than 200,000 last week, with 146,390 cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The massive number of people testing positive or in self-isolation has hit health staff numbers, prompting the defence ministry to announce yesterday that it will send troops in to assist staff in hospitals.

Hospitalisations and deaths are nevertheless far lower than in the first wave of the pandemic when people were unvaccinated.

The UK government is urging the public to get boosters, which have already been administered to around 61 percent of the population aged over 12. It is also seeking to persuade the unvaccinated to receive jabs.

With additional reporting from AFP.