HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed one further death in Ireland as a result of Covid-19 along with 21 new confirmed cases. 

The figures were released at a briefing by the Department of Health this evening. 

It brings the total number of deaths from the virus in Ireland to 1,749.

The total number of confirmed cases has reached 25,698. 

Yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the advice of NPHET, announced that the Phase Four reopening of pubs and nightclubs has been delayed until 10 August at the earliest.

It follows a rise in the number of daily confirmed cases in recent weeks. Health officials yesterday reported that the R number has also risen to between 1.2 and 1.8 and influenced the decision to delay reopening. 

Professor Philip Nolan, chair of NPHET’s Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group this evening said: “Our best estimate of the R number currently stands at 1.4 but it could be as high as 1.8.”

‘We have an opportunity now to maintain suppression of the virus,” he said, adding that “60% of cases are identifiable as a close contact of a confirmed case – as community transmission.

“Fewer than 10% of cases are imported cases, in other words, they are due to travel into the country.”

Acting CMO Dr Ronan Glynn today encouraged the public to take caution over the coming weeks.

“The cases which we will report next week have already been seeded, however, we have the power to limit the spread and impact of the of this disease beyond that,” he said. 

Latest information and a breakdown on the number of cases as well as hospitalisations are available on the Covid data hub.