Number of Covid patients in hospital continues to fall as 3,685 cases confirmed

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has urged people continue with the basics of hand washing, social distancing and recognising risky environments. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Department of Health has confirmed a further 3,685 cases of Covid 19 today.

It has also confirmed that the number of people being treated in hospital for Covid-19 is continuing to fall.

Figures released today show there are now 444 people being treated in hospital for the virus - a fall of 19 on yesterday.

Of those, 74 are being treated in ICU, a decrease of two in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has urged people continue with the basics of hand washing, social distancing and recognising risky environments.

Dr Holohan said people should walk out of a premises if they are not asked for their Covid cert.

"We need you, as an individual, to understand that an environment where you are not being asked about these things or where handwashing facilities are not present or it is evident that mask wearing is not as it should be, you should look at that as a riskier environment than it should be.

You should leave. You should feel empowered to leave and certainly not go back to visit. All of that will help to encourage compliance."

The Taoiseach's office has sought an emergency meeting with the hospitality sector as businesses increasingly ignore rules to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The Health Minister called on bars, restaurants and clubs to make sure they check Covid certs.

Stephen Donnelly said the industry needs to make sure they are complying with the health advice and the health regulations adding that restaurants and nightclubs need to do more to protect people.

"Covid passes in bars and restaurants and clubs, the figures we have show that about two in every three premises are doing it right but one in three isn't and that is too high, it's not acceptable," Mr Donnelly said.

"Every premises needs to make sure they are asking for Covid passes and that they are checking photo ID as well. It's really important."

Mr Donnelly asked people to pull back a bit on their social contacts saying we are now at a pre-pandemic level of meeting people and it is driving a certain amount of cases.

Speaking to Shannonside FM, Mr Donnelly said it is vital that unvaccinated people go to get their jab.

"We have one of the highest vaccine take-up rates anywhere in the world but we still have 7% that haven't been vaccinated and the reason that's a problem is because they are massively disproportionately ending up in hospital," he said.

"Nearly two in every three of our ICU beds that are being used for Covid patients is actually coming from this really small group of 7%."