Covid-19: 25 deaths with 343 new cases

25 more people have died from Covid-19 it has been confirmed.

There have now been a total of 1,286 deaths in Ireland from Covid-19.

343 new cases were also confirmed today.

In total there are 21,176 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

This is according to new data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).

As of 11am Saturday 2 May, HSPC data reveals:

• 58% are female and 42% are male
• the median age of confirmed cases is 49 years
• 2,785 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
• Of those hospitalised, 368 cases have been admitted to ICU
• 5,973 cases are associated with healthcare workers
• Dublin has the highest number of cases at 10,277 (50% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,226 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,156 cases (6%)
• Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 63%, close contact accounts for 34%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

In a statement today the HPSC said that "validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 4 deaths. The figure of 1,286 deaths reflects this."

Yesterday the total number of deaths from Covid-19 stood at 1,265.

Earlier today the Government announced a number of measures to assist business impaced by Covid-19.

A €6bn support package for farmers, small, medium and larger businesses has been agreed by Cabinet.

Commercial rates are to be waived for three months for business impacted and the shortfall of €260m on local authorities is to be funded by the Government.

The measures come as the Government mapped out a return to normality for the country as it exits the coronavirus lockdown.

Yesterday Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the lockdown is to be lifted in five three-week phases from May 18.

From Tuesday, Ireland will begin to cautiously re-emerge from total lockdown but after two further weeks of “tight restrictions”, the five-phase lifting of restrictions will commence.