A total of 589 new cases of COVID-19 were reported this afternoon by health officials.
The number of people with COVID in hospitals across the country now stands at 62, with 17 of those receiving care in ICUs.
As of yesterday evening, there are no COVID-19 patients receiving care in Galway’s public hospitals.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: “Scientific evidence shows that Delta is a much more transmissible variant of COVID-19, now accounting for 80% of the cases reported in Ireland.
“This is a challenge that is facing all of Europe, but we know that the basic public health measures still work against this variant.”
Dr Glynn urged people to avoid crowds, wear a mask, manage their contacts, keep their distance, meet outdoors where possible and if indoors, ensure that the room is well ventilated.
“With incidence of the disease continuing to increase, the rapid identification of cases and outbreaks of COVID-19 is essential,” he added.
“We are asking anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 to work with our contact tracers to identify all of your close contacts so that they, their families and colleagues can be protected.
“If you know you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19, or if you have any symptoms, stay at home and organise a free test as soon as possible.”
