LAST UPDATE | 26 Mar 2020

 THREE FURTHER PEOPLE have died from Covid-19 in Northern Ireland, bringing the total number of people who’ve died there to 10.

A further 32 cases of the coronavirus have also been confirmed, bringing the total number of cases to 241.

There have been nine deaths and 1,564 cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland

The latest deaths have been announced this afternoon by Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency.

Speaking yesterday, chief medical officer Dr. Michael McBride said that many thousands of people may already have coronavirus in Northern Ireland. 

Around 40,000 of the most vulnerable are to be written to by their GPs, urging them to be extra careful and stay at home.

McBride said: “At this point in time, I suspect there are many thousands of individual cases in Northern Ireland.”

Testing will increase to more than 1,000 a day by next week – and that will help give a better idea of the infection’s spread, McBride added.

The agency reports that as of yesterday morning, 3,372 tests have been completed in Northern Ireland, with about 94% coming back negative. 

As of Tuesday, the HSE said that 14,692 samples have been tested in the Republic of Ireland and 93% returned negative.

Asked last night whether he would follow McBride in estimating the number of true cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health Dr. Tony Holohan said that he “wouldn’t project a precise number”.

- With reporting by Press Association