Nphet reports 54 more deaths and 1,006 new Covid-19 cases

Garda members on Covid-19 level 5 travel restirction checkpoint duty at Cork Airport. Picture: Dan Linehan

A further 54 deaths of Covid-19 patients have been reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet). This brings to 3,794 the total number of deaths in the pandemic.

Nphet also reported 1,006 confirmed cases of the disease, bringing to 205,939 the total number of cases in the Republic.

Of the deaths notified this evening, 45 of these occurred in February, five in January and four are currently under investigation.

The median age of those who died was 86 years and the age range was 48 - 104 years.

This afternoon, 1,032 Covid-19 patients were in hospital, of which 173 were in ICU. An additional 40 hospitalisations occurred in the previous 24 hours.

The 14-day incidence of the disease now stands at 312.1 cases per 100,000 people nationally. Monaghan has the highest county incidence at 623.9, followed by Waterford at 435.5.

Of the new cases, 516 are in Dublin, 63 in Cork, 46 in Galway, 43 in Meath and 36 in Louth with the remaining 306 cases spread across all other counties.

Of the cases notified today, 476 are male and 524 are female. 65% are under 45 years of age, and the median age is 35 years old.

By February 7, 240,487 doses of coronavirus vaccines had been administered, comprising 153,654 first doses and 86,833 second doses.

In Northern Ireland, another four people have died with Covid-19, the Department of Health said, while a further 336 tested positive.

A total of 544 people were hospital inpatients at midnight.

Foreign travel 

Those returning from abroad must now legally quarantine at home, while legislation to mandate hotel quarantine will go before Cabinet next week. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Fines for non-essential travel abroad will be increased to €2,000, the Taoiseach has announced.

Micheál Martin told the Dáil on Wednesday he had asked Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to sign off on the increase, which would make the fine four times more than the €500 fine currently in place.

Asked by Labour's Duncan Smith about the fines, Mr Martin said while the numbers travelling were small, too many were Irish holidaymakers.

About 60% of those travelling are returned Irish holidaymakers.

"There's a sense the €500 is not sufficient disincentive to travel abroad – the Government is considering increasing that to €2,000, to act as a significant deterrent."

Those returning from abroad must now legally quarantine at home, while legislation to mandate hotel quarantine will go before Cabinet next week.