LAST UPDATE | 21 Jun 2020

HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed that no further people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland. 

The National Public Health Emergency Team has also said that a further six cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, bringing the total in this country to 25,379. 

The latest figures were announced as the country prepares to move into Phase Three on 29 June with hairdressers, cinemas and churches all permitted to reopen from that date. 

Meanwhile, there are recovery fears in China and South Korea as both countries report new coronavirus outbreaks. 

In the United States, President Donald Trump has told his government to reduce testing to avoid unflattering statistics showing rising infections.

Here are today’s Covid-19 main points:

• Health officials have confirmed this evening that no further people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland.
• There have been no new Covid-19-linked deaths confirmed in Northern Ireland today, with four more cases being announced. 
• Homeless organisations and charities are warning of a potential ‘second wave’ of homelessness in the months to come if  the necessary measures aren’t put in place by the government and local authorities. 
• Two regional airlines asked the government for a six-month bailout to ensure their survival beyond the Covid-19 crisis.
• Universities are facing huge losses as thousands of international students delay accepting courses. 
• The FAI have suspended their Covid-19 testing programme of players and staff at the four League of Ireland clubs preparing for European competition. 
• TheJournal.ie has taken a look at how people will know if they’re a close contact as the country gets back to normal. 
• Yoga instructors are eyeing up a 29 June restart date but the pandemic has created an existential crisis for businesses in the wider fitness world.

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

• No deaths of patients in Scotland who have tested positive for coronavirus were registered in the past 24 hours, according to the latest Scottish government figures.
• China and South Korea have reported new coronavirus cases in outbreaks that threaten to set back their recovery.
• China has banned imports from a top US poultry producer and has ordered a Beijing Pepsi factory to close as authorities clamp down on food production and distribution amind a new Covid-19 cluster in the capital.
• US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has said he told his government to reduce testing to avoid unflattering statistics showing rising infections.
• Spain has reopened its borders with France today. 
• Experts have called for an urgent increase in the humanitarian and medical aid being sent to Yemen as the war-torn country struggles to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Zimbabwe’s Health Minister has been charged with corruption related to the irregular awarding of a big contract to a new Dubai-based company for coronavirus testing and protective kits.

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