Covid-19: Evening Update

Here's a reminder of today's Covid headlines

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of a additional death related to COVID-19 and 408 new cases.

Of the cases notified today, 77% are under 45 years of age while the median age is 31 years.

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Half a million people have now registered through the online portal to get Covid-19 vaccine.

55 year olds can use the HSE system from today to sign up for the jab.

Thursday saw more than 46 thousand doses administered - a new daily record.

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Serial testing for Covid-19 in nursing homes is to be phased out following a sharp drop in cases and deaths.

A positivity rate of just 0.1 percent was confirmed in the latest round of testing this week.

The Chief Medical Officer says vaccination has now "virtually eliminated" coronavirus deaths in the facilities.

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India reports more than 4,000 Covid deaths in 1 day for the first time.

The real number of people dying could be much higher.

India has been struggling to cope with the current wave of infection - with hospitals overwhelmed.

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Bookings for holidays from Britain to Portugal have gone "through the roof" after added to British government's green travel list.

Thomas Cook claims it took more bookings for trips to the European destination in a single hour than it did in the whole of April.