Covid-19: 444 new cases and 8 further deaths confirmed

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan. Picture :Gareth Chaney/Collins

Eight further deaths from Covid-19 have been confirmed this evening by the Department of Health.

The newest figures bring the total number of Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland to 1,930.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) also confirmed 444 new cases of the coronavirus.

The total number of cases since the outbreak began has now reached 63,483 confirmed cases.

The number of people in ICU is 41, while 310 people are in hospital.

Dublin reported the most cases today with 158 followed by Cork with 48.

A further 36 cases were confirmed in Galway, 28 in Limerick and 174 cases spread across 19 other counties.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan urged the public to remain vigilant and follow public health advice.

“Every piece of public health advice we have given from the outset of this pandemic is designed to keep everyone protected from the impact of Covid-19,” he said.

“If you are a close contact of a confirmed case, you are asked to restrict your movements for 14 days and to attend for your two free Covid-19 tests, one on day 0 and one on day 7.

“This is because as an identified close contact, you have come into contact with the virus. It may take some time for this to become apparent, or for you to become infectious.

“By staying at home for this entire 14-day period, you are helping to stop the spread of this dangerous disease. In following this important guidance, you are helping to bring this virus right back down to where we all need it to be and playing your part in this national effort.”

Earlier, it was reported that the infection rate, positivity rate, and reproductive number have fallen in recent days showing “positive signs” for the country, the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said.

The minister told the Oireachtas Health Committee the latest Covid-19 metrics were “hopeful” and confirmed that the reproductive or R number had fallen from 1.0 last week to between 0.7 and 0.9 in recent days.

“There are positive signs in recent days. The 14-day incidence rate is 228 cases per 100,000. This compares with 278 in the previous 14-day period,” Minister Donnelly said.

In the North, there have been 10 further Covid-19 linked deaths and 679 new cases of the virus, the Department of Health has announced.

The death toll recorded by the department now stands at 740.

There have been 40,858 confirmed cases in Northern Ireland, including 4,498 in the last seven days.

There are currently 418 patients with Covid-19 being treated in hospital, with 50 in intensive care.