Coronavirus: Four deaths and 98 new cases in Ireland

 Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health. File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Four more people have died from Covid-19, health officials have announced.

It brings the death toll in Ireland to 1,772.


The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has also been notified of 98 new cases in the country.

There is now a total of 26,470 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. 

The National Public Health Emergency Team announced that of the cases notified today

- 57 are men / 38 are women 

- 68% are under 45 years of age 

- 67 are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case 

- 4 cases have been identified as community transmission 

- 35 cases are located in Kildare, 26 in Offaly, 6 in Wexford, 5 in Laois, 5 in Dublin

- 21 are spread across 10 other counties (Carlow, Cavan, Donegal, Kilkenny, Limerick, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Westmeath and Wicklow).

The figures are released as it was announced that the country's first regional lockdown will see residents of Kildare, Offaly and Laois barred from leaving their counties from midnight tonight.

People in the three counties must avoid all non-essential travel for the next 14 days.

All pubs and restaurants in the three counties must close tomorrow, but will be allowed serve takeaway meals.

Shops can still remain open.

The rest of the country will remain in Phase 3.