HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed one further death of a patient diagnosed with Covid-19 and 136 new confirmed cases of the disease in Ireland.

The number of people in this country with the coronavirus who have died now stands at 1,776 and there have been 27,676 confirmed cases. 

Of the new cases notified today, 11 are determined as being the result of community transmission.

51 of cases are in Dublin, 24 in Kildare, 12 in Kilkenny, 11 in Tipperary, 7 in Cork, 6 in Limerick, 6 in Wexford 5 in Meath and the  remaining 14 cases are in Carlow, Cavan, Donegal. Galway, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Waterford and Wicklow. 

Acting chief medical officer Dr. Ronan Glynn has said the core message to people is to “limit your social networks”.

“Stick to a limit of 6 people from no more than 3 households indoors, and 15 people outdoors.  Risk assess your environment and do not stay if it doesn’t feel safe,” he said.

Remember that the virus wants large groups to gather together in order to spread. Do not give it the opportunity. We can continue to suppress this disease in Ireland by working together and staying apart.

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group has said that one of the concerns is that new outbreaks are “widely distributed”. 

“The R-number is now at or above 1.2. There are two concerns now, the number of new cases per day remains high and the pattern has changed from large outbreaks in specific settings to much smaller outbreaks widely distributed across the country,” he said.

“The measures announced this week, asking us to stay apart, aim to suppress Covid-19 in the community.”