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The Department of Health has been notified of nine more deaths related to the coronavirus and 1,546 new cases of the disease.
This is the highest number of new infections reported in a single day since the pandemic began.
The total number of people who have died with Covid-19 is now 2,213, including denotation of one death.
The total cumulative number of positive cases is 88,439, including the denotation of one case.
The number of ICU patients with Covid-19 is 34, an increase of four since yesterday. There are 411 patients with the disease in the hospital with an additional 47 hospitalizations in the last 24 hours.
There has been a large increase in new Covid-19 cases in Northern Ireland with 1,566 confirmed positive tests in the last 24 hours.
Earlier today, a 79-year-old Dublin woman became the first person in the country to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Annie Lynch, a 10-year-old grandmother, received the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine at St James Hospital.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “We have reached a significant milestone in our collective response to the pandemic in Ireland, with the launch of our national vaccination program.
“Seeing the first recipients of the vaccine gives us hope for better times ahead, especially for those of us who are most vulnerable to the virus, including those over 70 and with underlying illnesses.
“The vaccination program will focus on priority groups in line with recent government decisions in the first instance.”
Dr Holohan added: “As the vaccination program is implemented, particularly given the increasing spread of the disease and the worrisome increase in the number of hospitalizations, to 411 today, we must remember to be vigilant about the continued risk of spread. of Covid-19 and follow public health advice in our daily life.
“This is our only means of suppressing the spread of the virus in the community. You protect yourself and your family from this highly infectious virus every time you wash your hands, cover your face, keep a distance of two meters, cut back on your contacts and stay home if you’re not feeling well. “
Of the cases reported today, 757 are men and 788 are women, while 66% are under 45 years of age.
444 cases were reported in Dublin, 203 in Cork, 111 in Louth, 87 in Limerick, 85 in Donegal, and the remaining 616 cases were distributed in all other counties.
The 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population nationwide is now 245.6. Counties with the highest infection rates include Donegal (457.3), Monaghan (454.5), and Louth (395.7).
Counties with the lowest incidence of coronavirus include Leitrim (90.5), Offaly (98.8), and Longford (100.3).
Nursing Director Rachel Kenna said: “It’s really great to see the Covid-19 vaccination program start today after specific training for this important vaccination program.
“Many nurses and midwives are trained vaccinators, and together with their colleagues, including hospital physicians, GPs, public health, pharmacists, and allied health colleagues, they will play an important role in delivering a safe, patient-centered approach. for the program.
“Many nurses and midwives will be among the first to receive the vaccine so that we can continue to provide care for all of our patients.
“However, it is vital to support them and all of our front-line staff by continuing to adhere to recommended public health measures as the vaccine program is implemented.”
The latest update comes as Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that the cabinet will meet tomorrow to consider further restrictions, in light of the growing number of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Also today, the Covid-19 leader of the Irish College of General Practitioners, Dr. Nuala O’Connor, said that there has been a 65% increase in GP referrals for Covid-19 testing in the last week.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr. O’Connor said they would have referred roughly 25,000 people in the first week of December, but the fourth week saw almost 70,000 referrals.
She said they expect an increase in the number of cases as more of those referrals are processed.
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“We also know that there has been intergenerational mixing,” said Dr. O’Connor.
“We know that the average number of contacts has risen to 5.9, there are some people who would have had up to 15 contacts on Christmas Eve and Christmas.
“As positive cases increase, close contacts will increase, so I think we will see the effect of socializing during Christmas on the numbers over the next week to ten days.”
Dr. O’Connor said they are getting calls from many people declaring themselves close contacts and looking for proof.
If the test is done too early, the virus may not have grown large enough to be detected, he said, adding that they are trying to schedule the tests for day five or later.
“What we really want people to do is stay home and wait for the HSE contact trackers to call them,” Dr. O’Connor said.
“There is a bit of an obsession with the test itself, but what is important is the behavior associated with the symptoms of Covid and being declared a close contact.”
He said that “now we have a chance” to affect the trajectory of the third wave and that people’s behavior will have a significant impact. “
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