THE DEPARTMENT OF Health has confirmed that a further three patients diagnosed with Covid-19 have died and there are 11 new cases of the disease in Ireland.

The figures were released by the Department this evening.

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. 

There have been no new ICU admissions due to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, while there have been two hospital admissions.

The number of Covid-19 cases in the community among the 20-39 age group has increased significantly in the last few weeks, while under 40s now represent around half of the confirmed cases in Ireland.

Speaking at tonight’s press briefing, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan outlined that 167 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the last two weeks, a 58% decrease compared with the previous two weeks.

The majority of Covid-19 cases (62%) continue to be related to community transmission, however, the National Public Health Emergency Team’s Professor Philip Nolan provided further data showing that the number of cases related to travel has risen in the last couple of weeks.

Nolan said that there have been 13 new cases related to travel in the last two weeks. The cases have come from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Portugal, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the US.

Yesterday, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave the go-ahead for Ireland to move to Phase Three of re-opening the country from Monday and that travel restrictions between Ireland and some other countries will be lifted on 9 July. 

The Taoiseach said a “green list” of countries will be published by 9 July, in coordination with the EU, but cautioned that it will subject to change and updated every two weeks. 

Dr Holohan said this evening that he is “beyond nervous” about the return of international travel but said if travel is to happen, it makes sense that it be between Ireland and countries where the level of Covid-19 is similar to or lower than it is here.

He added that the “green list” of countries is “conceptual only” and that it is impossible to predict what countries could meet suitability for such a list. 

*Two confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been denotified since yesterday, based on the Department of Health’s analysis of HPSC data.

- With reporting from Stephen McDermott at the Department of Health