Covid-19: Facts and figures as Ireland fights back against deadly virus

By Joel Slattery and Kevin O'Neill

This evening the Health Protection Surveillance Centre announced that 10 more people had died after contracting coronavirus - bringing the total number of deaths to 46 since the outbreak began, in addition to the 21 deaths in Northern Ireland.

In total, there are over 3,000 confirmed cases of the virus on the island of Ireland.

However, this afternoon a flight from China carrying millions of euro of protective equipment for healthcare workers battling coronavirus landed in Ireland.

The Aer Lingus Airbus A330 touched down at Dublin Airport just before 3pm on Sunday.

This is just part of what is being done in Ireland as the country, despite being on lockdown, fights back against Covid-19

Facts and figures of the fightback

• Ten flights delivering personal protection equipment (PPE) in the coming days. The first landed this afternoon;
• These will bring 1.6m masks, 400,000 eye protections, 256,000 gowns, and 254,000 gloves;
• The HSE has secured 34m masks, 24m eye protections, 24m gowns and 50m gloves, the equivalent of 15 year’s purchasing.
• 5,000 people being tested every day;
• More than 33,000 people tested since March 16;
• 10,700 people waiting for a test;
• More than 4,000 waiting for a test appointment;
• 60,000 more test kits secured by HSE, expecting another 100,000 each week;
• 46 testing centres now operational, with six more coming on stream next week;
• Private hospitals will bring 2,000 beds, 100 critical care beds, significant nursing and other staff, 200 ventilators, 500 consultants;
• 66,500 people applied to the On Call for Ireland process. Already, 263 nurses and 63 doctors contracts being finalised, and 5,000 student nurses and 1,100 medical interns are being brought forward;
• 1,400 people trained in contact tracing; 4,000 people will be tracing in“the next few weeks”.

- Additional reporting Press Association

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