69 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland; Government approve national response legislation

There are 69 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, it has been announced.

There are 69 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland today, it has been announced.

That brings the total cases in the Republic to 292.

Of the new cases, there are 29 male and 40 female, according to the National Public Health Emergency Team.

Forty-eight are associated with the east of the country, while there are 13 associated with the south, five associated with the north/west, and three in the west.

“Cooperation across the health service has never been more important and I would like to thank our colleagues in their ongoing efforts to help us to prepare for and limit the spread of Covid-19,” said Dr Tony Holohan, the chief medical officer.

There have been two deaths associated with Covid-19 in Ireland.

The news comes as the government announced its approval of legislation to support a national response to COVID-19.

In a statement this evening the government said the legislation provides for enhanced income supports for people who are diagnosed with, or required to self-isolate due to, Covid-19.

The legislation also provides for changes to remove the waiting period for payment of Jobseekers Benefit and Jobseekers Allowance in these circumstances.

The statement went on: "As previously acknowledged by the Government, these changes involve a significant Exchequer cost but are necessary to support the public health objective of ensuring people who need to self-isolate do so.

"The Bill also provides for certain extra powers, should they be needed if extreme situations were to arise, in relation to gatherings\events and travel where there would be an immediate, exceptional and manifest risk to human life and public health from the spread of COVID-19.

"In addition, it provides for further powers, in case they might be needed in relation to COVID-19, where a medical officer believes that a person is a source of infection and that the detention or isolation of a person is necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

"These are provisions which the Government hopes it won’t have to use, given the powers already in place under the Health Act 1947, but legislation is being introduced to give Government powers in exceptional circumstances in the unlikely event that the need arises."

The government statement went on to say that all measures in the Bill relate only to the exceptional circumstances facing the country due to COVID-19.

"Details of the Bill (Health Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2020) are being published this evening. It is intended to enact the Bill through the Dáil (Thursday 19th) and Seanad (Friday 20th) this week.

"The Government welcomes the continued co-operation of other Oireachtas parties at this time of national crisis and will brief them further on the contents of the legislation as soon as it is published."

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