There have been a further 3,578 confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported by the Department of Health today.
In the past week there have been more than 3,000 new cases reported each day, with over 3,500 in three days of the week.
The number of people hospitalised with COVID had jumped to 520 as of this morning.
Of these patients, 83 have been admitted to the intensive care unit for treatment.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said that there have been more than 44,000 cases reported in the past two weeks.
“The volume of disease in the community is really very high and represents a significant risk to those who are most vulnerable in our society.”
“We need to continue to use all of the tools available to us to protect ourselves and others. By layering all of the public health measures with which we are now so familiar, we can help to break the chains of transmission.”
“Ensure that you are washing your hands regularly, wearing a mask on public transport and in other social settings, try to meet others outdoors and ensure that indoor spaces are well-ventilated. And of course it remains essential that anyone with symptoms isolates and gets tested.”
The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests in the past week has been 13.9 percent of 184,259 tests carried out.
The COVID-19 data hub provides information on the key indicators of the disease in the community, including the rollout of the vaccine campaign.
