1,496 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland this evening.
As of 8 o’clock this morning, a total of 248 people are in hospital with the virus, of which 54 of those are in intensive care units.
Meanwhile, 1,564 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the North in the last 24 hours.
There have also been 7 additional covid-related deaths reported there today.
392 patients are currently being treated for the virus in hospitals in Northern Ireland, with 47 of those patients in ICU.
While the incidence rate of the virus in County Donegal remains high, Donegal no longer has the highest 7 or 14 day incidence rate in the Republic of Ireland as of the latest HSE figures
Up to midnight on Sunday, Donegal’s 14-day incidence rate of 976.8 is still the second-highest rate in the country, but Monaghan’s rate has now surpassed it – with a rate of 1,130.6 people per 100,000 of the population in County Monaghan.
Those figures compare to the national average 14-day incidence rate of 482.8 per 100,000.
Donegal now has the third highest 7-day incidence rate in the country, with both Monaghan as well as Cavan now surpassing Donegal’s rate.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said today:
“As a public health doctor, I am keenly aware of the impact the public health advice has had on all in society. Making the decision not to attend work or socialise if you are displaying symptoms can be very difficult. Similarly, choosing to leave a family gathering or social event because it doesn’t feel safe is hard and can cause anxiety.
“Unfortunately, the fact remains that incidence of COVID-19 in Ireland is continuing to increase. Our current 14-day incidence is 493 per 100,000, the highest it’s been since January 31, and incidence of disease is continuing to rise steadily in nearly all age groups and in 21 out of 26 counties. Last Tuesday, we were seeing an average of 3 people with COVID-19 admitted to ICU per day, today, that figure has doubled to 6 people with COVID-19 admitted to ICU per day.”
