“This is an extremely high incidence of disease circulating in our communities.”
There have been 1,571 new cases of Covid-19 reported in Ireland on Tuesday.
The figures released from the Department of Health did not include the number of deaths related to the virus.
The Department of Health’s statement said the number of daily cases may also change due to future data validation.
As of 8am on Tuesday, 307 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 55 are in ICU.
Following the case numbers, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan said that the incidence rate of the virus is now “extremely high”.
“On average, we have reported 1,814 confirmed cases of Covid-19 per day for the last five days,” he said.
“Our 14-day incidence is now 526 per 100,000 population. This is an extremely high incidence of disease circulating in our communities.”
The CMO added that public health measures such as wearing masks is an effective way to help curb the spread of the virus.
“Mask wearing is a simple and effective way of breaking the chains of transmission,” he added.
“If you are infected but do not have symptoms or have yet to develop symptoms, you can still spread the virus to others. Face masks help reduce this risk.
“By wearing a mask, you protect those around you. In January 2021, 94% of people reported wearing face masks in public places, and 93% in February and in March. As of this month, that figure has dropped to 84%.
“Please, continue to wear a mask in indoor settings like retail, on public transport and in restaurants and in crowded outdoor settings. This remains a simple but important measure that we all can take to prevent this virus spreading in our communities.”
Main Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie.
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