LAST UPDATE | 16 Jun 2020

THREE MORE COVID-19 deaths have been confirmed in Ireland.

It means that the number of people with the coronavirus who have died here is 1,709.

The National Public Health Emergency Team has also confirmed a further 14 cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number in this country to 25,334.

No new deaths were recorded on the island of Ireland yesterday, the second time this has happened since March. 

Internationally, New Zealand reported two cases of Covid-19 today – ending a three-and-a-half week spell without any fresh infections.

Here are today’s Covid-19 main points:

• A further three people have died from Covid-19 in Ireland.
• Up to 5,000 people could meet in outdoor gatherings from September if the Covid-19 virus stays suppressed, the Taoiseach has said.
• There have been 100 incidents of people spitting or coughing on Garda members since 8 April, figures released by An Garda Síochána show. 
• A greater focus on flu vaccination could be at the heart of how Ireland sustains a fragile health system through the pressure of winter, although experts say the country will need to do more than that if it’s to cope with both Covid-19 and the annual challenge of influenza. 
• The Covid-19 crisis has had a major impact on housing supply, according to a new report. The weeks-long hiatus on construction work as sites shut in response to the pandemic, combined with the limits imposed by social distancing requirements, mean that new houses might only reach 14,000 in 2020 – a major shortfall.
• The Governor of the Central Bank has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an economic shock “unprecedented in scale and speed”.
• It is too difficult to predict how the economy will look in a year’s time due to ongoing uncertainty around the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ESRI has told an Oireachtas committee, adding that in a worst case scenario GDP could decline by as much as 17%. 
• Debunked: No, contact tracing apps have not been installed on every Android phone.
• A nationwide survey will ask people how they are coping as Covid-19 restrictions ease.
• Benat Broderick, who has cystic fibrosis, talks about what cocooning at home is like. 

Here are today’s international Covid-19 main points:

• New Zealand has reported its first new Covid-19 cases in 25 days. Both the new patients were recent arrivals from the United Kingdom, the health ministry said.
• A cheap steroid has been hailed as a “major breakthrough” in the fight against Covid-19 in the UK after it was found to reduce deaths by up to a third among patients on ventilators.
• One in five people across the world has an underlying health condition that could increase their risk of severe coronavirus if infected, a new study suggests.
• US President Donald Trump has rejected pleas from Tulsa, Oklahoma, not to risk aggravating coronavirus risks by holding a rally there, announcing he wants to triple the crowd to 60,000 people.
• Leading US airlines have said passengers who do not wear face coverings could have their flying privileges revoked.

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