Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid has said that good trends in the number of cases of Covid-19 are providing some relief in the hospital system but that there is still a long way to go.
There were 943 Covid-19 patients being treated in hospital at 8pm last night, down from 990 on Wednesday. The number in intensive care was unchanged at 167.
The National Public Health Emergency Team last night said it is cautiously optimistic after very significant improvement in some indicators of Covid-19.
It said it expects the number of Covid patients in hospital to fall to between 500 and 600 by the end of February if public efforts are maintained.