1,110 new cases of Covid-19 are being reported today.
89 people with the virus are now in hospital, with 21 of those in ICU.
Positivity rates of up to 25 per cent are now being reported at some swabbing sites.
UCC Immunovirology Professor Liam Fanning says our testing capacity will soon be overwhelmed:
"Those figures are going to present considerable difficulties for the PCR testing capacity that we have in this country of about 20-22,000 per day.
"I think that's going to be very quickly overwhelmed.
"I suppose, what it gives an indication to is what we've expected with Delta - it is going to spread largely in those unvaccinated and, as we know, that's the 19 to 24-year-old group where most of the infections are at the moment.
"It's not a surprise and I think the numbers are only going to get larger over the next two to three weeks."
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 1,110* confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As of 8am today, 89 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 21 are in ICU.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “Almost 7,700 cases of COVID-19 have been notified in the last seven days, an increase of 88% on the previous week.
"Incidence rates have increased in every county over the past seven days. The counties with the highest 14-day incidence rates are Donegal (725/100,000 population), Louth (474/100,000 population), Dublin (307/100,000 population), Limerick (258/100,000) and Galway (257/100,000).
"During this spell of fine weather, we know that the vast majority of people are continuing to protect themselves and others by following the public health advice. This remains really important as we seek to protect as many people as possible through vaccination over the coming weeks.
"As we have said since the vaccine programme began, COVID-19 vaccines are extraordinarily effective at reducing each person’s individual risk of hospitalisation or severe disease. Vaccines along with the core public health advice remain our pathway out of this pandemic – please avail of the opportunity to get protected through vaccination when it is offered to you."
ENDS//
