LAST UPDATE | 26 Jun 2020

HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed that three more people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland.

The Department of Health also said a further 11 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed here.

It brings the total number of confirmed cases here to 25,414 while the death toll from Covid-19 in Ireland is now 1,730. 

Internationally, the US experienced an all-time high of new Covid-19 cases, with some states moving to slow down re-opening plans. 

Here are today’s Covid-19 main points:

• Three further deaths and 11 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland, according to the latest figures.
• Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has given the green light for Phase Three of the lifting of coronavirus restrictions to go ahead as planned on Monday. 
• The government has announced that face coverings will be mandatory on public transport.
• An exception will be made to the 50-person limit for mass gatherings in Phase Three, it has been confirmed. 
• The President of the High Court Ms Justice Mary Irvine has asked practitioners involved in personal injury cases to focus on negotiations, as the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a large backlog.
• In the latest episode of The Explainer, we examine how likely people are to catch Covid-19 in Ireland right now.
• Social distancing is to be reduced to from two metres to one in Northern Ireland.
• This evening, the largest cargo operation in the history of the State will come to an end as an Aer Lingus flight returns from Beijing. In total, 259 Dublin to Beijing return flights were carried out to bring PPE to Ireland. 
• The HSE has said its contact tracing app will be wound down within 90 days if it’s deemed to not be effective.

Here are today’s international Covid-19 main points:

• The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases per day in the US hit an all-time high of 40,000 — eclipsing the mark set during one of the deadliest stretches in late April.
• Supermarkets in Australia have imposed purchase limits on toilet paper following panic buying by people after a surge in coronavirus cases in the country’s second-biggest city.
• The majority of children and adolescents experience mild symptoms when diagnosed with Covid-19 and only a small number die from the disease, according to a new study published in the Lancet Journal. 
• The number of Covid-19 cases globally has now surpassed 9.4 million, while over 482,000 people have died, according to the European Centre for Disease Control.