PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed 3,735 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland today.

As of 8am today, 566 patients are in hospital with Covid-19, of whom 117 are in intensive care.

4,791 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed yesterday. 536 Covid-19 patients were in hospital with 118 in ICU.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is meeting regularly this weekend in the wake of the new coronavirus variant Omicron being identified in more countries around the world.

The Department of Health said it is aware of reports of the new variant of the virus being detected in the UK, Italy, Germany and Belgium.

The new variant has not yet been detected in positive Covid-19 cases in Ireland.

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NPHET is monitoring the situation and “currently considering further required measures”.

In recent days, a number of measures were agreed by government after details emerged of the strain which the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated a ‘variant of concern’.