Three further deaths and 457 Covid-19 cases confirmed by Nphet

Photo: Denis Minihane.

There have been three further Covid-19-related deaths in Ireland, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has said.

Another 457 cases of the virus were also confirmed by Nphet in the last 24-hour reporting period.

The latest figures from the Department of Health brings the total number of cases to 238,148 and the total death toll to 4,718.

Figures earlier today showed the number of people hospitalised with Covid-19 remained stable at 242.

This is the lowest level since before Christmas, when Covid-19 hospitalisations were 239 on 23 December.

The number of people in ICU with Covid-19 has dropped from 65 to 58 since yesterday.

HSE head says breaches to vaccine queue are "completely wrong"

Health officials confirmed that 893,375 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in Ireland, as of April 1.

Of those, 636,963 people received their first dose and 256,412 people have received their second dose.

Paul Reid, the head of the HSE, said that reported incidents of people skipping the queue to get a vaccine “breaches” the basis of what the programme is about.

Mr Reid said that it was “completely wrong” for someone to be vaccinated if they are not exposed to a healthcare setting.

Ireland is on target to reach a vaccine "milestone" next week, Mr Reid says, with the aim to have 1m vaccines administered since starting the rollout.