The Department of Health has reported 1,508 new cases of COVID-19 this afternoon.
As of 8am today, there are 206 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the State, of whom 33 are in ICU.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, said that COVID-19 is circulating to a significant degree in the community, but the public’s ongoing adherence to public health advice, the high levels of vaccine uptake, and the ongoing community engagement with testing centres around the country is encouraging.
He said that there are good levels of cooperation with contact tracing and that we must maintain this in order to break chains of transmission and keep our families and communities safe.
“Until you receive a result and if you receive a positive result from a PCR test, it is essential that you isolate and cooperate with contact tracing teams so that your close contacts can be informed,” said Dr Holohan.
“If you are a close contact of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, please come forward for a PCR test immediately if you have any symptoms or are not yet fully vaccinated to help stop the spread of this disease.
“If you are experiencing fever, cough, cold/flu symptoms, or loss of sense of smell or taste, please isolate straight away and seek a PCR test as soon as possible, either by contacting your GP or by booking a test online for one of the HSE’s COVID-19 test centres.”
“This is also important for those who are fully vaccinated as you can still transmit COVID-19.”
