Kenneth Fox
A further 1,071 cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the Republic.
As of Monday morning, there were 101 Covid-positive patients in hospital with 20 in intensive care.
In Northern Ireland, the daily number of confirmed Covid-19 infections topped 1,700 for the first time since January.
Case numbers have been rapidly increasing in recent weeks with the Delta variant of the virus now dominant in both jurisdictions.
*Please not that the figure of 1017* was earlier reported. This figure is incorrect. The correct figure is 1071* confirmed cases of #COVID19
— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) July 19, 2021
On Monday a further 1,776 cases of Covid-19 were reported in the North.
It comes after 537 new cases were reported on Sunday, 1,402 cases were reported on Saturday and 1,380 on Friday.
Speaking this evening, Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, said: “While we continue to enjoy the good weather, we are unfortunately also continuing to see a rise in incidence of disease across all key indicators.
“Our 14-day incidence is now the highest it has been since February 24th at 231/100,000. Our five-day average is 1,159 cases per day, the highest it’s been since February 2nd.
“If you are fully vaccinated, you can have confidence in your vaccine and enjoy socialising and meeting with other vaccinated people indoors, so long as you continue to follow the basic public health precautions.”
He said for people still waiting to be fully vaccinated it was best to continue to socialise outdoors. Dr Holohan added that “events like barbecues, meeting in a park or going to the beach can be enjoyed safely once we do our best to minimise the risks of transmission.”
Lifting of travel restrictions
Today also marks a significant day for travel across the EU as the State has implemented the bloc's Covid Certificate, allowing people who are fully vaccinated to travel freely.
The certificate has been in place in other EU countries since July 1st.
The lifting of restrictions on travel will see thousands of people going on holidays while others will travel back to Ireland to visit family and friends.
From Monday, it is possible to travel to Ireland from countries within the EU, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland with no requirement to quarantine if the traveller has valid proof of being fully vaccinated, having recovered from Covid-19 or have had a negative PCR test in the last 72 hours.
The Government has advised people who are not vaccinated to avoid high-risk activities, including international travel.
