The deputy Chief Medical Officer says it will be a 'challenge' to get below 500 Covid cases per day.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said yesterday it will be very hard to see numbers going below this level because of the more transmissible UK variant.

It comes as 606 new cases have been confirmed, with 3 more deaths.

There were 12 new cases in Galway, 11 in Roscommon, 8 in Mayo and less than 5 in both Sligo and Leitrim

Dr Ronan Glynn says he agrees getting case numbers below 500 will be difficult.