HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed that five more people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland.

It means the number of people in this country with coronavirus who have died now stands at 2,074.

The National Public Health Emergency Team also said that a further 270 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, bringing the total number of cases in Ireland to 73,066*.

As of 2pm today, 231 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised, of which 31 were in ICU. There were 27 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Of the cases notified today:

• 141 are men and 129 are women
• 63% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 37 years old
• 58 cases are in Dublin, 38 in Donegal, 28 in Wicklow, 25 in Mayo, 24 in Limerick, and the remaining 97 cases are spread across 21 other counties

Lowest 14-day incidence rate in EU

Speaking today, Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, said: “It is important to keep up the progress that we have achieved in recent weeks.

“Ireland now has the lowest 14-day incidence of Covid-19 in the EU, according the latest ECDC figures, and we need to hold firm to this position. As the country moves into Level 3, there is no room for complacency in our response to Covid-19.”

Ireland’s 14-day incidence rate is now 84.7 per 100,000 people – the rate is highest in Donegal (212.3) and lowest in Leitrim (15.6).

Holohan also said that as more services and businesses reopen, people must remember to follow public health guidelines.

“When you are out in shops and accessing services, try to avoid high-risk situations and wear a face covering when social-distancing is not possible on busy streets and crowded outdoor areas.

“When you come home from shopping or being outdoors, remember that washing your hands is your first priority.”

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Holohan said people who cannot work from home should wear a face mask “when moving around busy indoor workplaces and in communal work areas”.

He added that if people are planning to travel around their county, they should first consider whether it is absolutely necessary.

“Your individual actions are vital to our national effort to suppress the transmission of this disease,” he stated.

*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of two confirmed cases. The figure of 73,066 confirmed cases reflects this.