The Chief Executive of the HSE has said that over 1,800 people have been administered with a COVID-19 vaccine so far.

Paul Reid has confirmed that another 2,000 units have been distributed to County Cork which will be used in hospitals today and over the weekend.

Next week, vaccination teams will move into 25 nursing homes and a further 17 hospitals across all groups. It's anticipated that close to 25,000 people will have received their first dose, of the 40,000 received so far.

The second delivery of vaccines is also scheduled to arrive within the week.

Reid says the virus is 'rampant' in the community, with positivity rates at 22% yesterday. Some centres, he said, have reported that half of the tests carried out came back with a positive result.

People who are identified as close contacts of a confirmed case are no longer being tested unless they are symptomatic and have a referral from a GP.

Professor of Health Systems in DCU, Anthony Staines, says there is a real fear among the public health community that the worst is yet to come:

"It's made complicated by the failure of the HPSC to update the recorded cases.

"There's something like 4,000 cases waiting to be added to the total at various times over the last few days. Even at a fairly optimistic view, that means it would be 2,800 cases yesterday."

A spokesperson for Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said this week that it is the Government's hope that by autumn, the Irish population will be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

A spokesperson for Minister Donnelly told Newstalk while the aim is to have everyone vaccinated by the autumn of 2021, this is reliant on the authorisation and availability of vaccines.

In the meantime, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is advising people to stay home and, effectively, act like they have COVID-19.

This comes as 1,620 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported here on Thursday, with Ireland "no longer in a containment phase".

Main image by Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland