HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed a further 4,650 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

As of 8am today, there were 643 Covid-19 patients in hospital, 118 of whom are in intensive care.

Yesterday, 3,633 new cases of Covid-19 were reported and 634 people with the virus were in hospital, including 119 in ICU.

Officials also said yesterday that a further 43 deaths related to the virus have been notified in the past week. This brings to 5,609 the number of people who have died with Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Deaths related to Covid-19 are being announced on a weekly basis but this does not necessarily mean all deaths confirmed yesterday occurred in the past week, as the system in Ireland allows a period of time for deaths to be registered.

Approximately 1 in 6 people in Ireland experienced COVID-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat, high temperature or other flu like symptoms in the last week.

(According to @roinnslainte Amárach Research)

— Dr Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) November 18, 2021

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “Approximately 1 in 6 people in Ireland experienced Covid-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat, high temperature or other flu like symptoms in the past week.”

The CMO said anyone who experiences symptoms should self-isolate and arrange a PCR test, “not an antigen test”. 

“If you want to avoid passing Covid-19 or other respiratory illnesses on to your friends, family or work colleagues, rapidly self-isolating as soon as your symptoms begin is the most important thing you can do,” he said.