Ireland logged a further 12,336 cases of Covid-19 on Friday, according to the Department of Health.
6,697 cases were confirmed by PCR test, while 5,639 positive antigen test results were uploaded to the HSE portal. The Department has cautioned that self-registered test results are not directly comparable with laboratory PCR-confirmed cases.
There were 597 patients hospitalised with the virus as of this morning, down from 610 yesterday, with 66 people in intensive care, up three from yesterday.
A total of 120,193 PCR tests were completed over the past seven days, with a positivity rate of 31 per cent.
Case numbers in the region of 12,000 have been logged in recent days, with 92 deaths recorded over the latest weekly period.
In Northern Ireland, another 3,833 confirmed cases of the virus were notified over the last 24-hour reporting period.
One further person who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 has died in the region, its Department of Health said.
On Friday morning, there were 359 inpatients in hospital with the virus in the North, with 12 in intensive care.
Nphet latest
Members of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) appeared before an Oireachtas Health Committee meeting during the week, warning that the level of Covid-19 infection in Ireland will remain high into the near future.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan nonetheless delivered a positive outlook on the Covid-19 situation in the country, around 10 days after almost all restrictions were lifted.
However, he warned that the Omicron variant is “very unlikely” to be the last variant of concern globally and “the global public health risk remains very high”.
Ireland may also enter a “less frequent vaccination situation” in the future, he said, suggesting annual booster vaccines may be offered to vulnerable members of society only.
Separately on Wednesday, the Dáil heard that there are still “high numbers” of Covid-19 outbreaks in nursing homes, with 40 per cent of centres affected.
