Positive trend as fewer than 1,000 Covid-19 cases reported for seventh day in a row

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn

Public health experts have pointed to some positive Covid-19 trends after fewer than 1,000 daily cases were reported for the seventh day in a row last night.

The deputy chief medical officer flagged the signs of progress as one additional death related to Covid-19, and 679 confirmed cases of the virus were announced.

Dr  Ronan Glynn said that while progress is being made, the level of disease in the community remains very high.

“We have reported less than 1,000 cases each day this week and our seven-day average has fallen from 1,022 two weeks ago, to 862 last week, to 792 today,” he said.

“The number of people in hospital has fallen from over 1,200 two weeks ago, to 744 today.

“Do not underestimate the power of your actions as we seek to protect the gains we have made and further reduce transmission.

“This week, please continue to work from home unless essential and do not visit other households unless for essential reasons or as part of a support bubble.” 

Of the cases notified yesterday, 335 are men, 342 are women; 71% are aged under 45; the median age is 32; with 230 of the cases in Dublin, 59 in Limerick, 48 in Galway, 47 in Kildare, 29 in Tipperary and the remaining 266 cases spread across 19 other counties.

As of Friday, 326,475 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland, with 205,955 people getting their first dose and 120,520 people getting their second dose.

Earlier, Dr Philip Nolan, the chair of Nphet’s epidemiological modelling advisory group, said while progress in suppressing the virus has slowed, it is still being suppressed.

“The progress has slowed primarily because of the dominance of the more transmissible B117 variant,” he said.

“If we continue to make progress at the rate we are, we’ll be on track to reach below 100 cases sometime in April.” 

Speaking to RTÉ’s News at One, he said: “We’re looking at an outdoor summer. We’re looking at a summer where we socialise outdoors as best we can, we make the most of the outdoors.” 

He warned people to be extremely vigilant as students tentatively return to their classrooms.

"We have a responsibility to ensure that there is not a spillover from the reopening of schools into increased social mixing of parents on the margins of that," he said.