HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE this evening confirmed 617 more cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. 

There have also been five further deaths associated with the disease. 

This brings to 40,703 the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,821 deaths in Ireland. 

Of the cases notified today

• 310 are men / 307 are women
• 73% are under 45 years of age
• 33% are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
• 72 cases have been identified as community transmission
• 123 in Dublin, 107 in Cork, 42 in Meath, 36 in Kerry, 35 in Galway and the remaining 274 cases are located across 21 counties. 

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said; “The profile of the disease continues to deteriorate. There have been an additional 32 hospitalisations and 8 ICU admissions in the past 24 hours. We are continuing to see a high number of daily cases.

“It is vital that we interrupt the transmission of the virus now,” he added. 

“NPHET continues to monitor the situation however it is early, individual action that is needed to suppress the virus. Please follow public health advice and do your part to make an impact on the disease.”

Earlier today, it emerged that Northern Ireland recorded 1,080 new cases of the disease – a record for the region. A total of 4,674 cases have been recorded in the North this week.