The Chief Medical Officer has said that he is “hopeful” that Ireland will be able to move to phase two of the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in three weeks time.

Dr Siobhan Ní Bhriain says if people have symptoms of cancer, they need to go to a doctor.

Asylum seekers who say they are "trapped" in Covid-19 infested direct provision centres can isolate at a Dublin hotel instead, the National Public Health Emergency Team said.

A further 27 people with Covid-19 have died, it has been confirmed this evening.

Ireland is not at the point yet where Covid-19 restrictions could be lifted on May 18.

The hospitality sector needs a 0% VAT rate to give them a "fighting chance" of survival, the Junior Minister for Tourism has admitted.

The HSE is planning to use the country's private hospitals to carry out urgent non-coronavirus procedures over the coming weeks.

A further 31 Covid-19 deaths have been recorded today.

Patience is “clearly wearing thin” and people are becoming increasingly “frustrated” with the social restrictions in place to combat Covid-19, but Ireland remains in a battle to lower the community transmission of the virus according to the chief medical officer.

The Mental Health Commission is monitoring and risk-assessing how well prepared mental health facilities and care homes are to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak.

Just how bad is the situation regarding nursing homes?

The 17 remaining residents at the Maryborough Centre for Psychiatry of Old Age (which is not a nursing home), are being treated as if they are Covid-19 positive

The Chief Medical Officer says the criteria for testing of Covid-19 will likely be relaxed next week.