Number of people in ICU due to Covid is at lowest level this year

The number of people with Covid-19 in ICU is at its lowest level this year.

23 patients with the virus are currently in intensive care, while 59 people are in hospital - the lowest in nearly 9 months.

398 new cases of the disease have been confirmed in the Republic.

Trinity College Dublin Professor of Immunology Kingston Mills says the drop in hospital numbers is due to vaccination.

Meanwhile 16 of the 27 countries in the EU have lower Covid-19 incidence rates than Ireland.

The country has slipped down the table recently, as many other states have seen big improvements in their 14-day rates.

Malta is the best in the EU, with just 13 cases per 100,000 people.