During the most recent weekly period, there were 60 fatalities and 8,450 new infections of Covid-19 in Ireland.
In the previous week, there were 41 mortalities and 9,213 infections.
Since last week, data on new infections and deaths has been updated only once a week on Wednesdays on Ireland’s official data hub.
The most recent cases were discovered using a mixture of PCR and antigen evaluations during the week of May 19th to May 25th.
As many as 4,003 infections were revealed by PCR test in the most recent weekly status report. Today’s total was 720, with 455 on Tuesday, 622 on Monday, 466 on Sunday, 644 on Saturday, 263 on Friday, and 833 on Thursday.
Antigen tests licensed on the HSE portal identified a total of 4,447 cases, with 718 logged today on Wednesday, 867 on Tuesday, 500 on Monday, 394 on Sunday, 545 on Saturday, 669 on Friday, and 754 on Thursday.
Over the last seven days, 31,796 PCR tests were performed, with a positive result rate of 13.3 percent – marginally greater than last week’s 12.5 percent.
In the same weekly period, 60 deaths were reported, compared to 41 the previous week, taking the tally of pandemic deaths in Ireland to 7,304.
Meanwhile, hospitalizations fell below the 200-patient milestone this week. As of this morning, there are a total of 191 people hospitalized with the virus, and that includes 26 in ICU.
Concerns about the new variant
It comes as the nation has confirmed two infections of a recently categorized Covid-19 variant of importance.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recategorized two Omicron sub-lineages, BA.4 and BA.5, from variants of interest to variants of concern on May 12th.
In his most recent weekly update on Covid-19 to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, chief medical officer Dr. Tony Holohan stated that two cases of BA.4 had been recognized as of the week starting May 7th.
“ECDC has noted that the newly identified growth edge for BA.4 and BA.5 is probably due to their capability to bypass protective immunity stimulated by previous infection and/or vaccination,” he said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has raised questions about the new variant’s presence and has urged eligible people to get a booster vaccine as soon as possible.