Over 900 cases again announced today

There were 922 new confirmed case of the virus by midnight on Wednesday.

Figures released by the Department of Health at 3pm today show that there were also eight additional deaths related to COVID-19.

There has been a total of 2,192 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight Wednesday, another 922 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were notifie. There is now a total of 83,073* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Of the cases 922 notified, 68% are under 45 years of age

The median age is 33 years old

337 in Dublin, 73 in Cork, 70 in Limerick, 56 in Wexford, 43 in Galway and the remaining 343 cases are spread across all other counties.

There were 15 cases in Westmeath and less than five in Roscommon (when the number is between 1 and 4, the exact figure is not provided).

As of 8am today, 255 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 22 are in ICU. 37 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said: “Unfortunately, none of the indicators of this disease are showing encouraging signs. Ireland now has the fastest growing incidence rate in the European Union.”

“This Christmas, the best present you can give your loved ones is to strictly adhere to the public health advice.”

“Make your Christmas safe, meaningful and memorable for the right reasons. Stay home, stay safe and stay well. Limit contact as much as you can and ensure you and your loved ones have a happy and safe Christmas.”

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.