The latest figures have been released.
6,521 new Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Ireland, as well as 10 further deaths.
The Republic of Ireland’s Covid-related death toll now stands at 2,307, while 127,657 people have tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic.
41 people with Covid have died in January so far, compared to 163 people in December.
2,174 of today’s cases are in Dublin, while 571 are in Cork, 382 are in Limerick, 342 are in Waterford and 315 in Wexford. The remainder are spread across all counties in Ireland.
There are currently 1,043 Covid patients in hospitals across the country, with 96 of them being in the ICU.
Our R number is now believed to be over 2.4 and 3.
Speaking on Thursday, Philip Nolan said that there are some early signs that safety measures introduced after Christmas are now having a positive impact – but the signs are that we have a ‘considerable way to go’.
Based on data from last week, Nolan said we’re seeing high incidence across all age groups, worryingly in those aged over 65.
The Department of Health confirmed that with today’s announcements the backlog of cases has now been cleared.
Ireland’s vaccine rollout is now underway, with 15,314 Covid vaccines administered thus far, according to figures released on Thursday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, the Department of Health in Northern Ireland reported that a further 1,410 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.
Sadly, a further 17 deaths have also been reported up north (though three deaths were outside the current reporting period.)
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