LATEST: 1,185 new cases of virus, 24 further deaths and 40 outbreaks in schools confirmed

A further 1,185 more people have contracted Covid-19, the Department of Health confirmed this evening.

And the number of patients being treated in hospital for the virus stands at 292, a reduction of 17 since yesterday. Of these, 65 are being treated in intensive care, an increase of five.

The department also confirmed the Covid death toll has risen to 5,179 after it was notified of 24 more coronavirus-related fatalities over the past week.

Meanwhile, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) earlier confirmed there were 40 outbreaks of Covid-19 in schools last week. An outbreak is when two or more related cases are identified in a setting.

There were 34 outbreaks in primary schools, three in secondary schools and three in special schools, according to the HPSC.

The outbreaks, which relate to a total of 191 cases of the virus, is an increase from the 12 outbreaks recorded in schools the week before last.