Almost 1,000 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland in the last 24 hours.
994 new infections were reported.
The grim news was announced by the National Public Health Emergency Team this evening.
As of 8am on Thursday, 80 people are in hospital with the virus, 22 of them in the ICU..
Earlier today, HSE CEO Paul Reid had predicted the high number.
He said, “Yesterday, as you know, we saw one of the highest numbers of cases in one day, since February, as almost 800 cases.
“We know and expect that today’s cases will be approximately 1000.
“Any kind of look forward ahead will clearly demonstrate this is a very significant rise of case numbers.”
The Department of Health has said that the infection rate of COVID is increasing by 2% to 4% daily.
Mr Reid said he is concerned that the planned easing of restrictions in the UK will affect the spread of the Delta variant in Ireland.
He said, “We’d have all these concerns was happening in the UK.
“The reality of that just, you know, widespread opening like that, it hits the most vulnerable populations, it hits education, it hits young people in schools.”
Mr Reid said the Irish government are taking a more ‘pragmatic and cautious’ approach, which is welcomed in the HSE.
The government has accelerated the vaccine programme's roll-out to protect as many people against the spread of the Delta variant.
Earlier today Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that the vaccine portal will open for people aged 25-29 tomorrow.
