Only eight Covid-19 patients in hospitals while 14 new cases reported

Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer. Picture: Stephen Collins / Collins Dublin

Irish hospitals have the lowest number of patients with Covid-19 in the system since early March, the Acting Chief Medical Officer confirmed.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 14 confirmed cases of Covid-19 while there have been no new deaths reported.

There is now a total of 25,942 confirmed cases in Ireland and a total of 1,764 people who contracted Covid-19 have died.

"11 of today’s cases were close contacts of confirmed cases and half of these had no symptoms," said Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer.

"If you are concerned that you have been in contact with a confirmed case please come forward for testing. Do not wait for symptoms to emerge.

There are now eight confirmed cases of Covid-19 in our hospital system, the lowest number since early March. 

"However, across Europe the pandemic appears to be accelerating once again. 

"We have an opportunity to avoid a similar scenario here. We must take it by focusing once again on keeping our distance, washing our hands, wearing face coverings and continuing to make safe decisions that will protect ourselves, our friends, our families. No one is safe unless everyone is safe.”