Nine new cases of Covid-19 discovered on day Ireland records first death

Nine new cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed here by the Department of Health

Additional reporting by Kevin O'Neill

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has confirmed nine new cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland.

They include:

• – Four males from the south of the country associated with travel;
• – One female from the south of the country who came into contact with a confirmed case;
• – One male from the south who came in contact with a confirmed case;
• – Two males from the east of the country associated with travel;
• – One male from the east of the country who came into contact with a confirmed case.

There are now 43 confirmed cases in the Republic.

A female, in the east of the country, with an underlying medical condition.

Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan has said public health authorities would now "enhance and step up the containment phase" including through public messaging and "strengthening" contact-tracing measures by which people who may have been in contact with a confirmed case are located and advised what they need to do.

In a statement from the HSE, the authority said:

"The HSE is now working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients may have had, to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

"The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a Pandemic.

"We are now moving to enhancing our containment measures."

Earlier today the first death associated with the coronavirus in Ireland has been recorded.

It is understood that the female patient died earlier today in a hospital in the east of the country.

The patient is understood to be elderly with an underlying illness.

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