IRELAND NOW has fewer than 150 people with Covid-19 in hospital.
According to the latest hospitalisation figures, there were just 148 Covid-19 patients in hospitals across the country in the past 24 hours.
That represents a slight drop on the 153 recorded over the previous day.
Of the 148, 47 remained in intensive care.
Mater Hospital had the highest number of Covid-19 patients with 16, just ahead of Tallaght Hospital (15) and University Hospital Limerick (14).
The positive figures come against a backdrop of progress in the vaccination of the Irish public against Covid-19 with 1.4 million doses administered so far.
The National Immmunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) has also given the green light for the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines among people aged 50 and over.
Pregnant woman will also set to be offered faster access to vaccines on the advice of the NIAC.
Until this week, the AstraZeneca vaccine was only authorised for use among those aged over 60.
While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has yet to be used in Ireland, it has received approval from the European Medicines Agency.
Lower rates of hospital admissions coupled with increases in the number of vaccines available could see the Irish Government’s plans for the gradual reopening of society sped up.
The Taoiseach Micheál Martin hinted over the weekend much of society will reopen over the summer, though he acknowledged 'outdoor activities will be the theme of summer'.
