Almost 25,000 positive Covid cases recorded in Ireland since yesterday

Almost 9,000 PCR-confirmed of Covid-19 have been recorded by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) today (Thursday March 24). 

According to the HPSC, 14,215 positive antigen tests have also been recorded, making a total of 23,215 cases of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours. 

As of this morning, the HPSC has reported a Covid-19 test positivity rate of 46.4 %. 

One thousand four hundred and twenty five Covid-19 patients are reportedly in hospitals across Ireland today, 53 of whom are in ICU. 

It marks an increase of thirty hospitalised patients since yesterday (Wednesday March 23), when 1,395 people with the virus were recorded as being in hospital. 

Hospitals across the country are under increasing pressure with overcrowding and staff shortages, with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) yesterday calling on politicians to directly intervene and declare a national emergency. 

The group has urged the government to rethink and re-introduce the mandatory wearing of masks in some settings.