HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed this evening that a further 29 people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland.

A further 137 cases of Covid-19 have also been confirmed here, bringing the total number of cases to 22,385.

The overall death toll from the virus in Ireland is 1,403.

The HSE said it is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to “provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread”.

Today’s data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), of the 22,186 cases reported as of midnight on Tuesday, 5 May, shows:

• 57% are female and 43% are male
• the median age of confirmed cases is 49 years
• 2,891 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
• Of those hospitalised, 376 cases have been admitted to ICU
• 6,498 cases are associated with healthcare workers
• Dublin has the highest number of cases at 10,840 (49% of all cases), followed by Kildare with 1,302 cases (6%) and Cork with 1,197 cases (5%)
• Of those for whom transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 62%; close contact accounts for 35%; travel abroad accounts for 3%

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said the reproduction number is between 0.5 -0.6.

We have achieved our goal of suppressing the spread of the disease, it was not easy for anyone but there is no question that our collective effort has saved lives.

“Now we look to the pattern of Covid-19 going forward, as we attempt to ease restrictions.

“These weeks are just as important as the first weeks of our response. Our behaviours are crucial in maintaining our progress and keeping the reproduction number below one,” Holohan said.

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, added that the number of ICU admissions, new cases and deaths is “now falling and has been for over a week”.

“This is driven by a reduction of transmission of the virus in the community and reinforces the importance of our behaviours going forward,” Nolan said. 

With reporting by Stephen McDermott at the Department of Health

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