HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed a further 432 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland this evening, with one new death reported.  

This brings to 38,973 the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,811 deaths in Ireland.

A total of 111 cases were recorded in Dublin. The county has seen a considerable increase in the number of people infected with Covid-19 in recent weeks.

The Government announced yesterday that Level 3 restrictions will come into effect nationwide from midnight tonight, after rejecting NPHET’s recommendation to move to Level 5. 

Of the cases notified today:

• 218 are men, 214 are women
• 62% are under 45 years of age
• 48% are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
• 60 cases have been identified as community transmission
• 111 in Dublin, 51 in Donegal, 41 in Cork, 32 in Clare and the remaining 197 are located across 20 counties.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “It is essential that there is a broad societal effort over the coming weeks. Every one of us has the power to interrupt the spread of this virus and now is a vital time to use it. 

“Focus on what you can do; wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering, keep your distance from others, avoid crowds, limit your social network, know the symptoms and what to do if you experience them or are a close contact of a confirmed case.”

Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer said: “If you experience a cough, fever, shortness of breath, loss of sense of taste or smell please isolate and phone you GP without delay. Do not go to work and try not to interact with others. This is a vital action if we are to break the chains of transmission.”