The number of people dying every month from Covid-19 has plummeted since January but the toll from the pandemic has hit four counties worst.

Covid-19 related deaths fell from 1,419 in January to 16 last month amid growing protection from vaccines.

New figures show that from March this year onwards the monthly fatalities from the virus began to reduce substantially from 255 to 14 in June.

But the county with the highest death rate per 100,000 since the lethal virus first arrived in March 2020 and early August this year, was Monaghan, followed by Mayo, Kildare and Dublin.

The highest level of deaths – amounting to 2,072 – was linked to outbreaks in nursing homes.

Another 773 people died after being caught up in outbreaks in hospital, with 130 deaths in HSE community and long-stay units after a flare-up of the virus.

It comes as health officials said the number of hospital admissions of patients suffering from the virus will continue to rise through August and into September.

It signals that the approach to the roadmap – which is expected to be set out at the end of this month – outlining the next steps in the path out of the pandemic, could be ­cautious.

Another 1,903 cases of the virus were reported yesterday, with positivity rates as high as 30pc recorded in testing centres in some areas during the week.

There were 219 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 37 in intensive care.

Chief medical officer Tony Holohan said: “We know that vaccines work. They are about 80pc effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 disease, and they provide approximately 95pc protection against hospitalisation.

“This protection against severe disease holds up even in the context of the Delta variant. Ireland’s vaccination programme is currently preventing at least 2,700 cases per week per million population.”

The HSE weekly briefing was told that among 151 Covid-19 hospital patients who were discharged between July 31 and August 10, the average length of stay was six-and-a-half days.

The average age of the patient was 41. More than half the Covid-19 patients in ­hospital this week were not vaccinated.

Unvaccinated people accounted for 58pc in intensive care; 18pc were partially vaccinated and 24pc were fully vaccinated.

The 219 Covid-19 patients in hospital today represented a 15pc rise compared to last week.

Of these, 36 are in intensive care, a 20pc increase in a week. Overall a high percentage of patients admitted to intensive care are not fully vaccinated, accounting for 70pc to 80pc.

This week, 60pc of hospitalised patients are over 50, one third are aged 19-49 and 7pc are 18 or younger.

An age breakdown of patients in intensive care this week showed 58pc are over 50 while 48pc are aged 19-49.

Nobody aged under 18 was in intensive care.