As restrictions are set to ease next week, the CMO urged the public to “prioritise being outside and avoid crowds”.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has reported that eight more people with Covid-19 have died in Ireland.
The HPSC has also been notified of an additional 393 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the country.
In a statement tonight, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that as Ireland’s vaccine rollout continues and Covid-19 restrictions are set to ease next week “it is time to feel hopeful and to start planning our summer”.
However, he also added: “The choices we make now are vital to minimise the incidence of Covid-19 throughout May and June. Prioritise being outside and avoid crowds.
“Know the symptoms – self-isolate immediately and phone your GP if you have them. By protecting yourself, you are protecting everyone you know from infection.”
Of the deaths notified today, three occurred in May, two occurred in March and three occurred in February or earlier.
The median age of those who died was 79 years and the age range was 55 to 97 years.
There has been a total of 4,921 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland, and 251,474 confirmed cases.
Of the cases notified today, 175 are men and 211 are women.
79% are under 45 years of age, with the median age being 28 years old.
173 of the cases are in Dublin, 42 are in Cork, 34 are in Kildare, 26 are in Donegal, 15 are in Meath and the remaining 103 cases are spread across 20 other counties.
As of 8am today, 131 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 36 are in ICU.
16 additional hospitalisations occurred in the past 24 hours.
As of Tuesday, 4 May, 1,655,866 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland.
1,201,373 people have received their first dose and 454,493 people have received their second dose.
More than 30% of adults have now been vaccinated with one dose of Covid-19 vaccine in Ireland.
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