A further 1,276 cases of COVID-19 have been reported, along with eight additional deaths.

This brings the total number of cases here to 48, 678 and the total number of deaths to 1,849.

Of the 1,276 cases, 69% were under the age of 45, with a median age of 31.

Some 278 of the cases occurred in Dublin, 149 in Cork, 108 in Meath, 107 in Galway and 80 in Wexford.

As of 2pm on Saturday afternoon, there were 260 people with confirmed COVID-19 in hospital, 30 of whom were in ICU. There had been 12 additional hospitalisations in the previous 24 hours.

The 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 of the population in the 14 days up to midnight on October 16 was 231.6 nationally. However 11 counties were above this national average, with Cavan the worst affected, at 758.8, followed by Meath (450.2), Donegal (356.2), Monaghan (350.2) and Clare (320.7)

The counties with the lowest 14-day incidence rate were Tipperary (93.4), Wicklow (102.5) and Carlow (115.9).

The Government is currently considering NPHET's recommendation that the entire country be moved to level 5 of the COVID-19 plan for six weeks.

For more information on the restrictions currently in place where you live, click here.