LATEST: 43 more deaths as almost 4,000 new Covid cases confirmed

A further 3,893 people have contracted Covid-19, the Department of Health confirmed this evening.

There are now 611 people being treated in hospital for the virus in hospital, a drop of 27 since yesterday. Of these, 132 are in ICU, down two.

Meanwhile, a further 43 Covid-related fatalaties have been notifed over the past week, bringing the overall death toll as a result of the virus to 5,652 deaths.

Commenting on the latest figures, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “Approximately one in seven adults in the last week have had flu-like, cold-like, or Covid-like symptoms.

“The most important action you can take if you experience any symptoms of Covid-19 is to self-isolate immediately. This means staying indoors and avoiding contact with other people, including, in so far as possible, those you live with.

“Arrange to take a PCR test, not an antigen test, and continue to self-isolate while you wait for your test and the results.”