LAST UPDATE | Feb 21st 2021, 6:00 PM
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed a further 679 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, bringing the total number of positive cases to 215,057.
Additionally, the Department of Health has reported that one more person has died with Covid-19.
The total number of people who have died in Ireland with Covid-19 now stands at 4,136.
Of the cases notified today:
- 335 are men and 342 are women
- 71% are under 45 years of age
- The median age is 32 years old
- 230 are in Dublin, 59 in Limerick, 48 in Galway, 47 in Kildare, 29 in Tipperary and the remaining 266 cases are spread across 19 other counties.
As of 8am today, 744 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, with 148 in ICU.
45 additional hospitalisations were made in the last 24 hours.
More than 320,000 vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland, including 120,000 second doses.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that “while the level of disease in our communities remains very high, we are still making progress”.
“We have reported less than 1,000 cases each day this week and our 7 day average has fallen from 1,022 two weeks ago, to 862 last week, to 792 today. The number of people in hospital has fallen from over 1,200 two weeks ago, to 744 today,” Glynn said.
Do not underestimate the power of your actions as we seek to protect the gains we have made and further reduce transmission. This week, please continue to work from home unless essential and do not visit other households unless for essential reasons or as part of a support bubble.”
The 14-day incidence rate is highest in Offaly, where 25 new cases were reported today, with 431 cases per 100,000 people.
In Dublin, the 14-day incidence rate is 343.4 per 100,000, and 230 new cases have been confirmed.
Nationally, the 14-day rate is 243 per 100,000.
Leitrim and Roscommon reported no new cases today, while Longford, Wexford, and Sligo recorded five or fewer.
Restrictions that will be in place during March are to be laid out “with clarity” this week, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said today.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week in Politics, O’Gorman said that the “measures for March will be set out with clarity after the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and that will continue on a monthly basis as we go into the summer”.
Aside from the reopening of schools, no major easing of restrictions is expected until May.
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