1,386 new Covid-19 infections have been confirmed by the National Public Health Emergency Team this evening.
The latest figures were confirmed by health officials in a statement.
As of 8am on Friday morning, 106 people are in hospital suffering with Covid-19 complications, 22 of which are in ICU.
In other news, every person entering a pub or restaurant will have to give their name and phone number to staff in a pub or restaurant once indoor dining reopens on Monday.
The move has angered business owners who have said it is additional work and time and it was understood they would only have to take contact details from one person per table.
Instead, publicans and restaurateurs have to ask their staff to ask customers for their Covid certs proving they are fully vaccinated or immune, ID to prove it is their Covid cert and now also their phone number for contact tracing purposes.
A meeting has finished between government officials, Fáilte Ireland and representatives from the hospitality industry.
Speaking in Cork, Taoiseach Michéal Martin said “we all have obligations as individuals as well to comply [with the new guidelines].”
When put to him that some businesses will not reopen for indoor dining as their staff will be unvaccinated, he said: “The Chief Medical Officer is of the view that the staff are better protected by serving only vaccinated people within an indoor setting but that said, the vaccination programme is running very fast..in the last two weeks we’ll have the fastest running vaccination programme in the world.”
Unvaccinated children once they accompany a fully vaccinated parent or guardian are also allowed to dine indoors.
The guidelines for indoor dining are expected to be published for the hospitality sector later this evening.
