THERE HAVE BEEN a further 159 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland, health officials said this evening. 

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland to 30,730. 

The Department of Health also reported two further deaths associated with the disease. 

There have now been a total of 1,783 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. 

Of the cases notified today:

• 70 are men / 89 are women
• 65% are under 45 years of age
• 51% are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
• 23 cases have been identified as community transmission
• 75 cases in Dublin, 10 in Louth, six in Cork, six in Donegal, six in Meath, five in Laois, five in Wexford and the remaining 46 cases are in Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath and Wicklow.

Dr Ronan Glynn, the acting Chief Medical Officer, said in a statement: “47% of the cases reported today are in Dublin City and County.

For the people of Dublin in particular, this is a critical moment to address the spread of the disease in the community.

“Individual choices can make all the difference – reconsider your plans for the weekend, reduce the number of people that you meet and avoid social activities that involve large groups of people.”