PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed a further 1,372 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, bringing the total number of cases to 188,923.

Additionally, the Department of Health has reported that seven more people have died with Covid-19. All of these deaths occurred in January. 

Today’s update brings the total number of Covid-19 deaths in Ireland to 2,977. 

Of the cases notified today: 

• 616 are men, 751 are women.
• 56% are under the age of 45.
• The median age is 41.
• 502 cases are in Dublin, 164 are in Cork, 77 are in Wexford, 75 are in Waterford, 66 are in Louth and the remaining 488 cases are spread across all other counties. 

As of 2pm today, 1,905 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 219 are in ICU. There have been 58 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. 

There has been 688 deaths in all of January to date, compared to 175 in December and 164 in November.

The latest figures were announced as the Cabinet Covid-19 sub-committee to discuss Level 5 restrictions, the situation in our hospitals, schools reopening and travel restrictions that should be in place.

Officially, Level 5 restrictions are due to end after this week, but the Government has signalled repeatedly that they will be extended. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the RTÉ Brendan O’Connor programme on Saturday that there would be restrictions of some sort in place for at least the first six months of the year – though this doesn’t mean six months of lockdown.

The Cabinet sub-committee is also to discuss schools reopening. Martin said over the weekend that not all students would be back in school buildings by St Patrick’s Day.  

With reporting by Cónal Thomas and Stephen McDermott