LATEST: Three further deaths and 1,012 new cases of virus as Covid resurgence continues

Three more people have died after contracting the coronavirus as 1,012 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed this evening.

The overall death toll as a result of the virus now stands at 1,824. There are now 41,714 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, according to the latest daily briefing from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

The breakdown of the latest cases is as follows: 241 are in Dublin, 112 in Cork, 80 in Cavan, 72 in Meath, 66 in Galway, with the remaining 441 cases are spread across 21 other counties.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said of the worrying rise in cases:  “I am very worried about the numbers we are seeing and how quickly they are deteriorating.

“All of today’s 1,012 cases were notified to the HPSC over a period of 24 hours up to midnight.

“The 14-day incidence rate has increased from 108 per 100,000 last Sunday to 150 per 100,000 today, which represents a 39% increase.

“All of the important indicators of the disease are deteriorating. For example, there has been a consistent increase in test positivity over the past week. The test positivity rate up to midnight Friday 9^th October was 6.2%, which has more than doubled in less than a fortnight.

“Case numbers are growing across all age groups and throughout the country.”