Covid: No deaths, 821 new cases with 17 in Mayo

There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today.

There has been a total of 3,948 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight on Sunday the HPSC was notified of 821 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 210,402.

They include 17 in Mayo, now having registered 344 in the past two weeks.

It leaves the county with a 14-day incidence rate of 263.6 - below the national average of 272.1.

Mayo's five-day moving average is 25.6.

Of the other cases notified today:

430 are male and 389 are female.

70% are under 45 years of age.

the median age is 31 years old.

333 in Dublin, 91 in Galway, 53 in Limerick, 41 in Kildare, 38 in Meath and the remaining 265 cases are spread across all other counties.

As of 8 a.m. today, 916 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, 157 in ICU.

There have been 40 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Numbers of people vaccinated

As of Friday last February 12, there have been 265,237 doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered in Ireland:

175,238 people have received their first dose.

89,999 people have received their second dose.

Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: "With the commencement of vaccination of people aged over 85 in the community, today marks a significant milestone as we seek to protect the most vulnerable from this pandemic.

"It is an extraordinary testament to science that less than one year since our first confirmed case in Ireland, we are now in the process of rolling out three effective vaccines.

"The challenge now is to continue to suppress this disease so that as many people as possible can benefit from these vaccines over the coming months."

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said: "The current patterns remind us of the care we need to take to stay safe. In our workplaces and our colleges especially, we need to take care to stay safe until we are all protected by a vaccine."

Dr Lorraine Doherty, National Clinical Director Health Protection, HSE - Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), said: "From today, the over 85 age sub-cohort, which accounts for approximately 72,500 people, will receive their first vaccine over the coming weeks.

"This week, a total of 116 GP practices will participate in the rollout with an estimated 374 GP’s taking part.

"2,491 GP’s spread across 1,373 practices will administer vaccines to approximately 490,000 people over 70 years old, in the weeks ahead."

Dr. Sumi Dunne, General Practitioner, said: "As of this morning, the beginning of the over 85’s cohort began to receive their vaccines at selected GP practices.

"The level of vaccine confidence and enthusiasm for vaccination in this group has been widely reported, along with a sense of relief as hope for a normal life returns."