Nine more deaths from Covid-19 recorded in Ireland along with 24 new cases

Nine more people diagnosed with Covid-19 have died, bringing the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in the State to 1,678, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said it had been informed on Saturday evening.

Notification of 24 new confirmed coronavirus cases was received by the HPSC as of midnight on Friday, meaning there are now 25,183 cases in Ireland.

As of midnight on Thursday, with the data relating to 25,159 cases, some 57 per cent of those affected were women and 43 per cent male, while the median age of confirmed cases was 48 years.

Some 13 per cent of cases (3,319) had been hospitalised and, of those, 410 were admitted to ICU. A total of 8,059 cases were associated with healthcare workers.

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Dublin has by far the highest number of cases at 12,127, representing 48 per cent of all cases, followed by Cork with 1,528 cases and then Kildare with 1,423.

So-called community transmission accounts for 39 per cent of those for whom transmission status is known, with close contact accounting for 59 per cent and travel abroad 2 per cent.

Meanwhile, one further death from coronavirus was recorded in Northern Ireland on Saturday, bringing the total number of deaths to 537.

The North’s Department of Health made the announcement on Saturday afternoon.

Figures released by the Health Service Executive late on Friday night showed a total of 123 people with confirmed cases of Covid-19 are in hospitals across the Republic, down from 182 this time last week and 618 a month ago,

The steady decline in hospitalisations comes as the government announced plans to accelerate elements of the roadmap for exiting lockdown, partially driven by positive data which suggests the coronavirus is largely suppressed in the community.

The Mater Hospital in Dublin accounts for the largest single share of confirmed Covid cases, with 31. A further 19 are in Tallaght, and 10 in Galway.

The HSE figures, which are current up to 8pm on Friday night, show that there are a further 223 suspected cases of Covid-19 across the hospital system. Some 57 of these cases are in Limerick, with another 27 at St James's Hospital in Dublin.

The 24 hours leading up to 8pm last night saw just six new hospital admissions for Covid-19, compared to 16 a week ago and 27 on June 6th. The HSE figures also show a total of 103 vacant critical care beds across the system. A total of 37 Covid-19 cases are in critical care, with 10 further suspected cases also in intensive care units across the country.

Some 23 confirmed Covid-19 patients are on ventilators, alongside a further six suspected cases. Eight of the confirmed cases in critical care are in the Mater, with a further six in St James’s, and five each in Beaumont and Tallaght Hospitals.