*Photograph: John Mangan
Co Clare has recorded 31 new cases of COVID-19 among the 1,276 cases announced nationally on Saturday.
Detail on Friday’s 1,276 cases announced today indicate that 69 percent occurred in individuals under the age of 45. 278 are in Dublin, 149 in Cork, 108 in Meath, 107 in Galway, 80 in Wexford, 31 in Clare and the remaining 523 cases are spread across 20 counties.
An additional eight deaths have been notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) bringing the national death toll to 1,849. Five of the deaths were in October, two in September and one in June.
As of 2pm on Saturday, 260 persons are being treated for COVID-19 in Irish hospitals with 30 in ICU. Over the past 24 hours, 12 hospitalisations have been recorded, the Department of Health have confirmed.
Once again, Clare continues to have the fifth highest incidence rate per 100,000 of population at 320.7 behind Cavan 758.8, Meath 450.2, Donegal 356.2 and Monaghan 350.2. The addition of 31 cases in the county breaks a run of four successive days where a decrease in county cases had been noted.