A further 8,071 people in Ireland have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the Department of Health has confirmed. 

3,300 individuals tested positive after taking PCR tests, while the remaining 4,771 people registered a positive antigen test with the HSE. 

616 hospital patients have contracted the virus - up six since yesterday - of whom 48 are being treated in ICU. 

The five day moving average has increased slightly to 6,777. 

The news comes after the CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland warned that, while the acute phase of the pandemic may be over, COVID remains a huge danger to the elderly: 

“There has been an increase in open outbreaks,” Tadhg Daly told The Pat Kenny Show. 

“The numbers last week from the health protection surveillance centre was something of the order of 320 open outbreaks with 43 in the last week alone. 

“That is a concern but I think it is important as well to say, and let your listeners know, that the profile of illness among residents thankfully is not anywhere near [as bad] as in previous waves of the pandemic.  

“So people are not as sick but there is a concern because once COVID gets into a setting, it has a huge impact on the residents and critically, if COVID is introduced, residents then have to isolate.”

Main image: Gloved hands holding face masks and disinfecting wipes to protect from COVID-19.