Letterkenny deaths
The bodies of two men have been discovered at a house in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Gardaí are currently at the scene where the bodies were discovered on Thursday.
Both bodies remain at the scene, which is preserved at this time. Early indications are that both men appear to have died violently.
Booster progress
Almost half of Ireland's adult population have now received a booster jab, according to the Taoiseach.
Micheál Martin confirmed on Wednesday that 49.9 per cent of the adult population has been boosted, which is 37.4 per cent of the whole population.
It is expected the two million mark for booster doses will be reached by Christmas Day.
Hospitalisation figures
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 has fallen to 390, the lowest level since October.
As of 8am on Thursday morning, there were 98 Covid patients being treated in ICU, 54 per cent of whom were unvaccinated, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said.
Despite the fall in hospitalisations, the Government is working on a plan to exempt key workers in public services and utilities from self-isolation requirements in some circumstances amid fears over the impact of the Omicron wave on essential services.
The Taoiseach has asked officials to draw up “immediate contingency planning for the coming period, including risks associated with Covid-19- related absenteeism”.
Christmas travel
Today is one of the busiest days for travel as people set off to see their friends and family for Christmas.
Irish Rail is urging passengers to plan their journey ahead of time, reiterating that face masks remain mandatory on public transport.
