NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

HSE CEO Paul Reid, pictured in the Pillar Room in the Mater Hospital, before speaking at a media briefing. Leon Farrell / RollingNews.ie Leon Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

• A further 12 Covid-19 deaths in Ireland have been confirmed by health officials, bringing the death toll from the virus here to 1,458.
• Inside the government’s response to Covid-19 in Direct Provision.
• Two women have been arrested after a serious assault took place at a home in Co Wexford in the early hours of this morning.
• A man and a woman have been arrested after a suspected firearm and ammunition were seized in the early hours of this morning at Liffey Street in Dublin.
• The HSE will spend about €1 billion on personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Irish health service this year.
• Teachers and principal representatives have called it “unacceptable” and “completely inappropriate” for students and parents to be contacting Leaving Cert teachers to lobby them about the calculated grade.
• A man has appeared in court in Limerick in connection with an assault on Friday night. 
• Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan, and Health Minister Simon Harris have urged people to stick with social distancing measures, after what appeared to be an increase in gatherings of people in parks this weekend.
• The HSE still intends to roll out its Covid-19 contact tracing app by the end of this month despite reported delays with the process.

INTERNATIONAL

People pass a mural tribute to the NHS on a pavement in Edinburgh. Andrew Milligan / PA Images Andrew Milligan / PA Images / PA Images

#NEW YORK: Three young people in New York have died of what Governor Andrew Cuomo said may be “a Covid-related illness” in children.

#UK: Boris Johnson this evening set out a “sketch” of his government’s plans for the exiting of lockdown. 

#SPIKE: China and South Korea reported new spikes in coronavirus cases, setting off fresh concerns in countries where outbreaks had been in dramatic decline. 

PARTING SHOT

An artist is spending his lockdown sifting plastic from 40 sacks of litter washed up on his local beach. 

He says he’s removed 50 million plastic beads, 200 car tyre dust caps and 300 Lego flippers.  

Find out his reasons why here.