Covid-19 case numbers have increased over the weekend.

There have been 456 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, with six further deaths from the disease.

Of the new cases, 27 were in Cork, with 151 in Dublin, 38 in Limerick, 27 in Donegal, 27 in Galway and the remaining 186 cases spread across 20 other counties.

A total of 254 Covid-19 patients are currently hospitalised, of which 32 are in ICU. There have been 11 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

According to Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan, the latest data shows the five-day moving average of case numbers has increased from 354 to 392, raising concerns that the rate of infection is rising despite the Level 5 measures in place until December 1st.

“We have seen higher numbers in recent days than we expected based on the encouraging trends of the last three weeks,” said Dr Holohan.

“We are concerned that this progress is at risk. We have to remember that the virus is still very active in the community and we cannot let our guard slip. NPHET will continue to monitor the situation closely over the coming days.

“We all need to focus on what we can do to stop the spread of this disease; wash our hands regularly, wear a face covering, keep our distance from others, avoid crowds, limit our social network, know the symptoms, self-isolate and contact a GP if we have them. Stay at home and restrict our movements if you are a close contact of a confirmed case,” added Dr Holohan.