PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed that 436 more cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Ireland.

The Department of Health also said that there are 101 people in hospital being treated for Covid-19, with 39 of those patients in intensive care units.

Dr Colm Henry, the HSE’s Chief Clinical Officer, confirmed earlier today that eight people have died with Covid-19 in the last 12 days. The daily death figures have been unavailable since the cyber attack on the HSE almost two weeks ago.

The department also noted this afternoon that current case numbers may change with future data validation.

Yesterday, there were 448 new coronavirus cases confirmed in Ireland. A total of 99 patients were in hospital, 41 of whom were in ICU.

Earlier this week the department changed how Covid-19 figures are reported in the wake of the cyber attack on the HSE.

Previously, daily positive swab results were reported from laboratories to the HSE’s contact management programme.

Now, daily case numbers will be based on data extracts from the Covid Care Tracker (CCT).

This is the IT system that records data collected from phonecalls with Covid-19 cases and their close contacts. Revised case numbers have been released due to the changes.

When Covid-19 surveillance systems are restored, the department said all data from this period will be collated and validated using the HSE’s Computeried Infectious Disease Reporting system.

In Northern Ireland, no new deaths and 84 new cases were announced today. As of this morning a total of 27 Covid-positive patients were in hospital in the North, of whom two were in intensive care.