IRELAND has recorded the lowest number of new Covid-19 cases of the entire year so far.
Figures released by the Department of Health on Wednesday show that 259 new cases of the virus were detected in the Republic of Ireland over the last 24 hours.
This is the lowest daily count in 2021.
The figures, however, could be revised at a later date, due to the recent cyber attack on Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE).
Despite that, the numbers represent progress for Ireland during a week in which the hospitality sector was opened up properly for the first time in over six months.
On Monday, pubs and restaurants opened up outdoor dining spaces for customers, with indoor dining areas set to open in July.
Hotels and B&Bs opened up earlier this month too, but despite expectations of uptick in infection rate, case numbers have stayed low, which is good news for everyone.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin also suggested on Tuesday that a partial return to offices could begin in August, as the country eyes up a return to normality, post-lockdown.
The Government is due to make an announcement on the planned easing of public health restrictions throughout July and August by the end of this month.
"As you have seen all along the way we were able to do things in June that we didn't signal we would do a month earlier," Martin said.
"We were able to do more than we signalled and likewise, I think by the end of this month we might be able to do more than we signalled for August and that could mean the return of some workers to the offices by the end of August."
