Number of Covid patients in hospital falls below 500 for first time this year

As of 2pm this afternoon, 496 patients with the virus were hospitalised. File Picture: iStock

The number of Covid-19 patients in hospital has fallen to its lowest number this year.

As of 2pm this afternoon, 496 patients with the virus were hospitalised, down from 520 at 8am this morning, and 532 at 8am on Saturday morning.

Of the patients hospitalised this afternoon, 40 were receiving treatment in intensive care, down three on yesterday's figure.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the drop represented "a significant milestone" and "very welcome."

"These figures were reported at 2pm today (Sunday). All of the data is trending in the right direction," he wrote on Twitter.

"There are fewer patients with Covid being admitted to ICU."

This day one week ago, there were 754 Covid-19 patients in hospitals around the country.

The highest one-day total of Covid patients in hospital this year - 1,624 - was recorded on March 28. Since then, hospitalisations have been declining steadily.