COVID-19 in Ireland
Current COVID-19 activity in Ireland — based on ECDC ERVISS weekly data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Current situation: COVID-19
In week 15 of 2026, activity of COVID-19 in Ireland is low. The trend — derived from clinical surveillance — is stable.
The classification is based on the ECDC ERVISS weekly reports, drawing on COVID-19 surveillance data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE sentinel GP network. Seasonally, infection waves in Ireland typically peak during winter, with occasional summer waves driven by new variants; activity is usually markedly lower in late spring between waves. How severe a given season becomes depends on the circulating virus variant and the population's immune status, among other factors.
Data sources and methodology
The current picture for Ireland is built on the European Respiratory Virus Surveillance Summary (ERVISS), published weekly by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE sentinel GP network is the national public-health authority that feeds ERVISS with sentinel primary care and virology data.
ECDC ERVISS
ERVISS is ECDC's weekly pan-European surveillance summary for influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. National authorities — in Ireland's case the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE sentinel GP network — submit harmonised indicators every week, which ECDC publishes in a standardised dataset on Thursdays. Using ERVISS rather than each country's native portal ensures cross-country comparability.
ILI / ARI consultation rates and positivity
the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) via the ICGP-HSE sentinel GP network operates a sentinel network of general practices that report weekly rates of patients consulting for influenza-like illness (ILI) or acute respiratory infection (ARI). A subset of patients is swabbed and tested by reference laboratories, producing pathogen-specific positivity rates for flu, SARS-CoV-2 and RSV.
Why this source
Combining consultation incidence with virological positivity yields a pathogen-specific weekly incidence signal (ILI × positivity / 100). This is the standard European methodology and provides a more robust view than either indicator alone — consultation rates capture illness burden, positivity confirms which pathogen is driving it.
Qualitative classification
The “low”, “moderate” and “high” categories follow seasonal reference values and epidemiological thresholds calibrated to match our classifications for other countries. The ILI × positivity / 100 product is scaled to comparable thresholds using a divisor of 3, which aligns European sentinel peaks with the consultation-equivalent scale used elsewhere. Data refreshes weekly when ECDC publishes the latest ERVISS update, typically on Thursdays.
Frequently asked questions
How is COVID-19 monitored in Ireland today?
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre integrates COVID-19 into its broader respiratory-virus surveillance. Core indicators include sentinel-laboratory positivity, hospital and ICU admissions for severe acute respiratory infection, variant characterisation at the National Virus Reference Laboratory, and targeted wastewater monitoring. Weekly results appear in HPSC's Respiratory Viruses Report and are transmitted to ECDC ERVISS.
Is COVID-19 still a concern in Ireland?
COVID-19 is endemic in Ireland and continues to cause winter hospitalisations, concentrated in older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Vaccination and prior infection mean most healthy adults experience a milder illness than during earlier pandemic years. The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) sets booster guidance, and HPSC monitors the weekly picture alongside flu and RSV.
When do COVID-19 waves happen in Ireland?
COVID-19 in Ireland has not settled into a strict single-season rhythm. Autumn and winter waves overlapping with flu and RSV are the most consistent pattern, but summer upticks driven by new variants have also been observed. Rising positivity and hospital-admission trends are HPSC's earliest indicators of a shift from baseline to elevated activity.
Who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster in Ireland?
Irish autumn COVID-19 booster campaigns follow National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) guidance and typically target adults aged 65 and above, pregnant women, people with chronic or immunosuppressive conditions, residents of long-term-care facilities, and healthcare workers. Vaccines are administered through GPs and pharmacies under the HSE programme. HPSC reports uptake alongside weekly virological surveillance.
Are new variants still tracked in Ireland?
Yes. The National Virus Reference Laboratory continues to sequence SARS-CoV-2 samples from hospital and sentinel cases. Most emerging lineages cause illness comparable to their predecessors, but variants with notable immune escape can drive faster waves. Irish variant trends are reported weekly by HPSC and feed into the ECDC ERVISS platform.
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