A FURTHER 456 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health. 

The department also reported six additional deaths associated with the disease. 

This brings the total number of deaths to 1,978 and the total number of confirmed cases to 67,526. 

Of the cases notified today:                                                           

• 210 are men / 246 are women
• 69% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 33 years old
• 151 in Dublin, 38 in Limerick, 27 in Cork, 27 in Donegal, 27 in Galway and the remaining 186 cases are spread across 20 other counties.

As of 2pm today, there were 254 Covid-19 patients in hospital, of which 32 are in ICU. There were 11 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said: “Analysis of today’s data shows the 5-day moving average of case numbers has increased from 354 to 392. We have seen higher numbers in recent days than we expected based on the encouraging trends of the last three weeks.

“We are concerned that this progress is at risk. We have to remember that the virus is still very active in the community and we cannot let our guard slip. Nphet will continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming days.

“We all need to focus on what we can do to stop the spread of this disease; wash our hands regularly, wear a face covering, keep your distance from others, avoid crowds, limit our social network, know the symptoms, self-isolate and contact a GP if we have them. Stay at home and restrict our movements if you are a close contact of a confirmed case.”