Another 724 positive tests have been reported.
43 more Covid-19 patients have died today and another 724 positive tests have been reported for Coronavirus.
Of the 43 dead, 34 of them were in the east of Ireland, 4 were in the west and 5 were in the south of the country. The median age of today’s reported deaths is 84.
Of the 724 new positive test results, 629 of the cases are from recent tests and another 95 from a lab in Germany processing older swabs.
The total death toll here is now 486, with a total of 13,271 confirmed cases. Dublin has the highest number of cases at 6,337 (51% of all cases) followed by Cork with 916 cases (7%)
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of NPHET Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said;
“Our model today is showing four reproductive numbers, illustrating the different stages of the disease in Ireland over the past 6 weeks.
“We now estimate our R0 to be between 0.7 and 1.0, which means current restrictions are successfully suppressing the disease.”
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, added that:
“The data clearly shows that there are two very different experiences of COVID-19 in Ireland today. In the population at large, the virus is contained and effectively suppressed.
“However, the experience of the disease in long-term residential care settings continues to be a source of concern.
“In order to protect the vulnerable the first task was to suppress the virus in the population at large. We are increasingly confident that we are achieving this. All of our efforts now need to be on extinguishing COVID-19 in our community residential settings, including nursing homes.”
Earlier today it was announced that the Covid-19 restrictions in the UK will continue for another three weeks.
The total number of patients to die in UK hospitals has now risen to more than 13, 700.
