There have been three new deaths and 253 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the Republic, according to the Department of Health.
Of the cases notified today, 71 per cent are under 45 years of age. 45 per cent are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case, while 61 cases have been identified as community transmission.
116 of the cases are located in Dublin, 22 in Kildare, 14 in Cork, 14 in Galway, 13 in Donegal, 10 in Limerick, 10 in Louth, nine in Mayo, eight in Waterford, seven in Wicklow and the remaining 30 cases are spread across Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Tipperary, Westmeath.
Covid-19 catch-up
There have been two further deaths from Covid-19 and 163 confirmed cases reported by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.
The figures come as the Cabinet has accepted the full advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to move Dublin to Level Three of its Living with Covid-19 plan, with additional restrictions on pubs and restaurants which will only be permitted to open for outdoor dining or takeaway.
NPHET's Professor Philip Nolan has explained the advice, as data shows limited outbreaks have been linked to these establishments and industry groups have hit out at the recommendations, saying that that the capital’s high rate of community transmission most likely has settings such as pubs and restaurants at its source.
The Vintners Federation of the Ireland said the potential closures are “misguided” while pointing to outbreaks in private homes: “The most recent data relating to Covid-19 outbreaks ‘by setting’ reveals of the 3,036 cases just five are linked to pubs.”
Dublin continues to have the highest incidence rate of coronavirus in the country, with the infection rate in the county now standing at 114 cases per 100,000 people over the last two weeks, almost double the national average at 59 cases per 100,000.
It also emerged today that GPs in Tullamore have been warned they are facing "a significant Covid-19 incident" as one hundred workers at a hotel in Co Offaly are being screened after about 20 people who stayed there last week and played golf nearby tested positive for coronavirus.
