Is Covid-19 still in Ireland? Latest case numbers, new strain and vaccine advice

Five years have now passed since Ireland's first confirmed case of Covid-19, but the question lingers: Is the virus still a concern today? 

While daily headlines have slowly but surely shifted away from the illness and the latest updates regarding it, Covid-19 has still not fully disappeared from the country but instead has evolved in how it spreads.

As of 8am on Thursday, April 10, there are 48 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Irish hospitals, with two people currently placed in ICU. 

Alongside this, a new Covid variant is also on the rise and is known as LP.8.1. This strain has already been detected in Ireland after a sharp increase in cases was revealed through HSE reports in the first five weeks of 2025. 

However, the World Health Organisation has confirmed that the overall public health risk posed by LP.8.1 is low at a global level, stating that the continued spread of this variant "is unlikely to increase the burden on national public health systems compared to other Omicron sub-lineages."

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The public are still being urged to remain vigilant of the illness, and if you test positive for Covid-19 you must stay at home for five days and refrain from contact with other people, especially those who are high-risk, such as children and the elderly. 

You can then leave home after five days only if the symptoms are fully or mostly gone for the last 48 hours. It is okay to leave home after the self-isolation period if you still have a mild cough or changes to your sense of smell. These can last for weeks after the infection has gone.

A way to prevent Covid-19 is by means of vaccination. The HSE recommend that all people between the ages of six months and 59 years receive the jab, along with those 60 years or older, health and care workers, and pregnant people. The health service are also urging the public to keep on top of their booster vaccinations. 

While Covid-19 no longer dominates daily conversation or the news, it still remains a part of every day life in Ireland, thankfully in a much more manageable form. 

With vaccines, protocols and awareness firmly in place, the country still continues to adapt and live with the virus but staying informed and following public health advice is recommended as we still get used to living in a post-pandemic world.