THERE ARE NOW 344 people with Covid-19 in hospital and 39 in ICU, the highest numbers since the end of May.
The figures in hospital are the highest since 20 May and the highest in ICU since 29 May.
There have been four admissions to ICU in the past 24 hours and one discharge during this time.
There have been 26 admissions to hospital of people with Covid-19 in the past 24 hours and nine discharges.
In the last seven days, more than 115,000 tests have been completed with a positivity rate of 6.2%.
As of yesterday, there have been a total of 57,128 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland with 1,882 deaths associated with the disease.
Health officials reported 1,025 cases yesterday and no additional deaths. Today’s figures for Covid-19 in Ireland will be announced later this evening.
Although health officials have said the roll-out of a vaccine is the only thing that can ensure a full return to normality, a new survey showed that just over half of people in Ireland would take a Covid-19 vaccine if there was one available.
The survey, conducted by Ipsos MRBI for the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association found 55% would take the vaccine, while 33% said they were unsure. 12% of respondents said they would not take a vaccine.
There is a strong sense of optimism in the medical and scientific community about the prospect of a vaccine in 2021.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said on Friday that the country was under Level 5 restrictions because the disease is at “very serious levels in our country and posing a significant risk to public health”.
He reiterated his plea for anyone who had tested positive, or anyone who was awaiting a test or a test result, to self-isolate.
Dr Holohan asked everyone else to behave as if they are a close contact of someone with the virus, even if they are not, so that they limited interactions with others.
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