Another 61 cases of Covid-19

There have been another 61 deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has reported a further 2,488 cases of the virus, including 130 in Meath.

58 of the deaths reported today occurred in January.

This brings the total number of deaths associated with the disease to 2,768 and the total number of Covid-19 cases to 179,324.

The median age of the 61 new deaths was 83 years, and those who died were aged between 41 and 100.

Of the new cases notified today:

1,090 are in men and 1,383 are in women;

51% are in people under the age of 45;

The median age is 44 years-old;

726 were in Dublin; 314 in Cork; 148 in Galway; 133 in Limerick; 130 in Meath; and the remaining 1,037 are among people in other counties.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said this evening that the number of cases and deaths is indicative of persisting high incidence of Covid-19 across the country.

“The virus spreads through close contacts, through the congregation of people. We need everyone to stay at home as much as possible, and to work from home, where possible,” he said.

“You should not meet up with friends or loved ones, unless you are caring for them.

“If you go out for exercise, you need to stay within 5km from your home, wear a face covering where appropriate and wash your hands when you return home to protect yourself from infection.

“If you are Covid positive, you should self-isolate and stay at home, in your room, avoiding contact with other people. This is to protect the other people that you live with.”