By Cillian Doyle.
NPHET has reported 1,571 new cases of Covid-19 this afternoon.
307 Covid patients in Irish hospitals today, with 55 in intensive care units.
As of midnight, Monday 23rd August, we are reporting 1,571* confirmed cases of #COVID19.
As of 8am today, 307 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 55 are in ICU.
*Daily case numbers may change due to future data validation— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) August 24, 2021
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan says the incidence of Covid-19 is still very high:
“On average, we have reported 1,814 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per day for the last 5 days. Our 14-day incidence is now 526 per 100,000 population. This is an extremely high incidence of disease circulating in our communities.
The CMO is also urging everyone to keep wearing face masks:
“Mask wearing is a simple and effective way of breaking the chains of transmission. If you do are infected but do not have symptoms or have yet to develop symptoms, you can still spread the virus to others. Face masks help reduce this risk. By wearing a mask, you protect those around you. In January 2021, 94% of people reported wearing face masks in public places, and 93% in February and in March. As of this month, that figure has dropped to 84%.
Please, continue to wear a mask in indoor settings like retail, on public transport and in restaurants and in crowded outdoor settings. This remains a simple but important measure that we all can take to prevent this virus spreading in our communities.
— Dr Tony Holohan (@CMOIreland) August 24, 2021