PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed a further 384 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, bringing the total number of positive cases to 226,741.

No new deaths related to Covid-19 have been recorded by the Department of Health today.

The total number of people who have died in Ireland with Covid-19 remains 4,534. 

Of the cases notified today:

• 195 are men and 187 are women
• 73% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 31 years old
• 145 in Dublin, 41 in Kildare, 37 in Offaly, 29 in Galway, 24 in Cork and the remaining 108 cases are spread across 17 other counties. 

At 8am this morning, 349 patients with Covid-19 were in hospital, with 86 in ICU. 17 people with Covid-19 were hospitalised were in the previous 24 hours.

The national 14-day incidence rate is currently at 150.7 cases per 100,000 people.

The 14-day incidence is highest in Offaly, Longford, and Dublin at 386.1, 371.9 and 238.8 cases per 100,000 respectively.

Sligo, Cavan, Kilkenny and Leitrim recorded no new cases today.

Validation of data at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has led to the denotification of one case that was previously confirmed, which is reflected in the current running total of 226,741.

Yesterday, there were 16 deaths and 543 cases confirmed in Ireland.

589,512 doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland as of Thursday, including 426,819 first doses and 162,693 second doses.

Most of these – over 450,000 – have been of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with 19,000 Moderna doses and 117,000 AstraZeneca.

The use of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been paused on the recommendation of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) after a report by the Norwegian Medicines Agency of four serious blood clotting events in adults who had received the vaccine.

No link has been made yet between the vaccine and the cases of clotting, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said, and the decision to temporarily defer the use of the vaccine is a “precautionary” measure.