LATEST: Holohan says Omicon peak may have passed amid drop in infections

There has been another drop in the number of daily Covid-19 infections, with 17,065 new cases of the virus reported by the Department of Health this evening.

As of 8am, there were 1,023 patients in hospital with the virus, an increase of 12 on the same time yesterday. This compares to the figure of 936 on this day last week and 682 two weeks ago.

Of those in hospital, 83 patients are being treated in ICU, down nine on the same time yesterday.

Speaking earlier the Deputy Chief Medical Officer said the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is hopeful “we are certainly coming close to the peak of this [Omicron wave], if it has not yet passed.”