Four deaths and 859 new confirmed cases TheJournal.ie

PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS have confirmed another 859 Covid-19 cases in Ireland this afternoon, bringing the total confirmed cases to 56,108.

The Health Department has reported four additional deaths today.

The total number of deaths from Covid-19 is now 1,882.

Of the cases confirmed today, 415 are men and 441 women, with an average age of 35 years.

62% of the people included among the new confirmed cases today are under 45 years of age.

There have been 16 additional hospitalizations of Covid-19 patients in the last 24 hours. Currently 315 patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized, 37 of them in ICU.

The current 14-day incidence rate nationwide is 302.9 per 100,000.

By comparison, the lowest national incidence rate in 14 days was 2.98 cases per 100,000, which was recorded on July 3.

Of the current cases, 192 are in Dublin, 148 in Cork, 58 in Donegal, 55 in Galway and 54 in Meath, with the other 352 cases spread across the remaining 21 counties.

12 previously confirmed cases have been reported after validation of data at the Health Protection Surveillance Center, which is reflected in the total of 56,108.

Level 5 restrictions went into effect across the country earlier this week in an attempt to curb the rising incidence of the virus.

The restrictions, which must last six weeks, impose strict limits on social activities, with a few exceptions.

Visitors are not allowed to enter homes, indoors or outdoors, but a household may meet another household outside in an area other than their home.

Exercising is allowed only within 5km of a person’s home, and a system of fines has been introduced to respond to any breach of the rules.

Public transport capacity has been reduced to 25% and restaurants, pubs and hotels can only serve food through delivery or take away services.