Fewer patients in hospital and referrals for testing down.
The head of the HSE says the decline in Covid patients in hospital and a consistent set of positive Covid 19 trends give great hope.
Paul Reid was responding to new figures showing the number of people being treated in Irish hospitals for the disease has fallen by 80 in the past 24 hours - to 940.
In a tweet this morning Mr.Reid said fewer patients are on oxygen support - and GP referrals for testing is down.
Monaghan based doctor Illona Duffy says GPs are noticing the drop in cases
Meanwhile there are calls for urgent action as new figures show another 40,600 people added to hospital waiting lists in past year.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association is warning the Government that it mustn't let another year pass without tackling hospital capacity and the shortage of consultants.
IHCA President Professor Alan Irvine says we can't keep blaming Covid for the record waiting lists: