A FURTHER 1,078 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 66 people confirmed to have Covid-19 have died, 41 of whom died in February.

Eight died in January, seven in December, and nine in November or earlier. The date of one of the deaths is still under investigation.

The death toll from Covid-19 in Ireland is 3,931, and the total number of confirmed cases is now at 208,796.

Of the cases notified today:

• 523 are men and 549 are women
• 70% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 32 years old
• 433 in Dublin, 139 in Galway, 52 in Limerick, 49 in Wexford, 43 in Mayo and the remaining 362 cases are spread across all other counties.

At 8am today, 898 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, of which 171 were in ICU.

44 additional hospitalisations have been made in the last 24 hours.

The national 14-day incidence rate currently stands at 286.8 per 100,000 people.

The rate is highest in Monaghan at 526.2 per 100,000, where 15 new cases have been confirmed today, followed by Dublin with a rate of 376.8 and 433 new cases.

Only two counties – Dublin and Galway, with 139 new cases – reported more than 100 cases in today’s figures.

Validation of data at the Health Protection Surveillance Centre led to the denotification of two cases that were previously confirmed, which is reflected in the current running total of 208,796.

As of 10 February, 256,691 doses of vaccines against Covid-19 have been administered in Ireland, including 166,863 people who have received their first dose and 89,818 who have received their second dose.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn asked that “if you have any symptoms suggestive of Covid-19, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath or a change in your sense of smell or taste, self-isolate (stay in your room) immediately and phone your GP without delay”.

“If you are in any doubt about any symptoms you have, you should always contact your GP. Your test and GP assessment will be free of charge,” Dr Glynn said.

“If you don’t have a GP, any GP can arrange a test for you,” he said.

“The best way to protect ourselves and our vulnerable loved ones from serious illness as a result of Covid-19 infection is to continue taking the actions we know can effectively supress this virus. Keep physical distance from others, wash hands regularly, avoid crowds and wear face coverings that are fitted correctly.”

The vaccination of people aged 85 and over is set to begin from Monday in GP surgeries and dedicated centres.

It’s expected it will take a number of weeks for everyone in this age cohort to receive their first vaccine dose.

Additional reporting by Lauren Boland