LAST UPDATE | 18 Apr 2020

HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed a further 41 people who contracted Covid-19 have died in Ireland.

The Department of Health confirmed this evening that there are 630 new cases of coronavirus in the country, and 148 more Irish cases from a testing backlog have also been confirmed by a lab in Germany.

The total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland now stands at 14,758 and there have sadly been 571 deaths. 

Of the 41 new deaths that have been announced today, 35 people were reported as having underlying health conditions. The median age of today’s reported deaths is 83.

A total of 35 of the deaths were located in the east of the country, two in the north-west and four in the west. 

Based on figures provided by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, 326 of those who have died were male and 245 were female.

The age range of those who have died is between 23 and 105 years old and the median age is 83. 

Of the 571 people who have died, 330 had been admitted to hospital and 46 were in ICU.

The cases confirmed from the lab in Germany represent the processing of a backlog of Irish samples, some of which date back to mid-March. The HSE has said it is hoped the backlog would be eliminated this week.

Last night, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said Ireland’s Covid-19 curve has been flattened and that there is no peak expected.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Late Late Show, Dr Holohan said that as a result of public efforts to suppress Covid-19 in communities through increased restrictions, “hundreds of lives” had been saved. 

Speaking after today’s deaths were sadly announced, Holohan said that the National Public Health Emergency Team has this week been emphasising the importance of testing in community residential settings including nursing homes.

“This sector remains a priority for our focused attention and we will continue to monitor and support them through this outbreak,” he said. 

It was confirmed last night that a census of mortality across all long-term residential care facilities is being carried out this weekend.

The census will cover all Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 deaths since 1 January of this year, regardless of where the death occurred.

- With reporting by Rónán Duffy