A FURTHER 13 people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland, the Department of Health has confirmed.

A further 76 cases of the virus have also been confirmed here.

There have now been a total 1,604 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.  There is now a total of 24,582 confirmed cases of coronavirus here.

A breakdown of 24,451 cases which have been studied by health officials shows: 

· 57% are female and 43% are male

· The median age of confirmed cases is 48 years

· 3,211 cases (13%) have been hospitalised

· Of those hospitalised, 393 cases have been admitted to ICU

· 7,813 cases are associated with healthcare workers

· Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,830 (48% of all cases) followed by Cork with 1,420 cases (6%) and then Kildare with 1,387 cases (6%)

· Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 60%, close contact accounts for 38%, travel abroad accounts for 2%

Earlier today, the HSE’s chief executive, Paul Reid, urged the public to “hold firm” over Covid-19 restriction measures.

He acknowledged that the public are worried about jobs and bills, but added that there “are bright days ahead”.

He made the comments as the number of patients with Covid-19 in hospitals continues to fall.

Recent figures show that by yesterday, 298 patients with coronavirus were admitted to 29 hospitals across the state.