PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed 1,361 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

The Department of Health has reported that 160 patients are in hospital with Covid-19, including 26 in intensive care units. 

Yesterday, 1,408 cases of Covid-19 were reported, with 152 patients with the illness in hospital, 26 of whom were in intensive care.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said: “We have to continue to drive up vaccination rates as high as possible.

The higher we go the better the protection we have and the sooner we’ll be able to ease more of the economic and social restrictions that still remain in place.

Dr Holohan added that walk-in vaccination centres are opening across the country, where anyone over 16 years of age can register for a Covid-19 vaccine.

“Encourage your friends and family to ensure they get reliable information about the vaccines available here and to get vaccinated as soon as possible,” he said.

Data relating to the number of deaths associated with Covid-19, as well as case numbers by county, have been affected by the cyber attack on the HSE IT systems 

Today’s figures did not contain any information about whether there were any other deaths due to the virus.