A FURTHER 7,836 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has said this evening.

In a statement, it said that a further 17 people confirmed to have Covid-19 have died.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Ireland is 2,299, and the total number of confirmed cases is now at 121,154.

Of the cases notified today:

• 3,740 are men / 4,078 are women
• 63% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 36 years old
• 2,263 in Dublin, 1,373 in Cork, 496 in Louth, 345 in Limerick, 340 in Meath and the remaining 3,019 cases are spread across all other counties. 

As of 2pm today, 954 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, of which 88 are in ICU. There were 105 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Dr Tony Holohan said the country is in a “serious phase of this surge “.

He said there is also evidence of an increasing presence of the UK variant in Ireland.

“All counties have an upward trajectory of the disease. There is concerning escalation of admissions to hospital and ICU. We are very likely to see escalating mortality and ICU admissions in the coming days and weeks.

“It has never been more important, throughout our experience of this pandemic, to stay home and only meet people outside of your household for essential purposes, always adhering to public health advice; physical distance, hand hygiene, cough/sneeze etiquette, wearing a face covering,” he added.