A further 101 deaths from Covid-19 have been reported
Public health officials have confirmed that a further 101 people with Covid -19 have died.
83 of these deaths occurred in January and 18 occurred in February.
The National Public Health Emergency Team also confirmed today a further 897 new cases of the virus in Ireland, 34 of which are in Meath.
Some 11,764 Covid-19 cases were reported in the North East in 2020 and 12,463 Covid-19 cases were reported in the region since the beginning of this year.
The latest update from the Department of Health brings the total number of cases to 198,424 and the number of people who have died to 3,418.
Of the cases notified today:
419 are men / 459 are women
56% are under 45 years of age
The median age is 41 years old
383 in Dublin, 79 in Cork, 53 in Galway, 40 in Limerick, 43 in Meath and the remaining 290 cases are spread across 20 other counties.
As of 2pm today, 1,388 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 207 are in ICU. There have been 45 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Meath's Garda chief has called on the public to abide by the current restrictions on attendances at funerals.
Chief Superintendent Fergus Healy said that while everyone is finding the restrictions difficult, it is even more difficult for those who have suffered loss at this time.
"Currently, funerals are limited to 10 mourners. There is a concern that there are significant numbers of people coming together on these sad occasions. Priority has to be given to the families themselves at funerals. It is important to remember that every contact increases the risk of transmission of this highly contagious virus. Although it is difficult we must seek to express our condolences in a different way to reduce the spread of the virus.”
The HSE Public Health North East, An Garda Síochána and Louth and Meath County Councils have urged the public to stay at home and protect our communities
Dr Augustine Pereira, Director of Public Health North East said: “We are seeing a slight decrease in daily infection rates. When the number of new Covid-19 cases decrease, our natural inclination is to drop our guard, which leads to more cases in the community. So long as Covid-19 remains widespread in our community, it continues to present a high risk for our vulnerable population, particularly those in our hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities.”
Chief Executive of Meath County Council, Jackie Maguire said: “I recognise that there is a heightened sense of anxiety regarding the current rates of transmission, but this needs to be turned into a positive.
“The virus will continue to challenge us and we need to have the right mind-set to deal with this challenge. I urge every resident of Meath to now see yourself as on the frontline in preventing the spread of the virus.
“To really consider the actions you take – so that you stay safe and those around you stay safe. Please follow the guidelines regarding face masks, hand hygiene and stay at home and not travel, unless it is essential.”