Small decrease in people in hospitals with Covid 19

There has been a further small decrease in the number of people in hospital with Covid 19.

There were 172 patients with the disease in hospital last night and 48 were in intensive care.

Of the 390 cases last night 8 new cases of the virus confirmed in Longford and less than five in Roscommon.

There no new cases confirmed for Leitrim last night.

It comes as health officials are expected to decide in the next few days if the Johnson and Johnson vaccine can be used here.

The European Medicines Agency has found the benefits of the injection outweigh the risks of very rare blood clots.

Professor Kingston Mills from Trinity College feels the messaging around Johnson and Johnson needs to be clear following confusion about AstraZeneca.