Covid-19: 10 confirmed deaths as fall in new cases continues

In total there have now been 1,543 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.

The new confirmed cases also bring the total amount of Covid-19 cases in Ireland to 24,112.

Data released by the HPSC, as of midnight, Friday May 15 when there were 23,953 cases, reveals:

• 57% are female and 43% are male
• the median age of confirmed cases is 48 years
• 3,117 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
• Of those hospitalised, 389 cases have been admitted to ICU
• 7,566 cases are associated with healthcare workers
• Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,666 (49% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,361 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,352 cases (6%)
• Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 60%, close contact accounts for 37%, travel abroad accounts for 3%

Speaking at a press conference earlier today, Health Service Executive (HSE) chief operations officer Anne O'Connor said there has been a noticeable fall in new cases this week.

She said: "Overall in terms of the number of cases we are identifying by testing is lower than previous weeks. With new cases increased only by 6% and the number in hospital decreased by 27%.

"So we are seeing a change I suppose in terms of numbers."

Meanwhile, the HSE has insisted that the Mater Hospital met all its legal requirements in terms of reporting its number of Covid-19 infections, despite 244 such incidences being reported many weeks late last week.

At a briefing to outline plans to re-open non-Covid healthcare in the community, HSE chief executive Paul Reid said that a draft report into what had happened at the Mater has been completed, and that he has been “specifically reassured” by its contents.

“The submission of such data is a statutory legal requirement. That legal requirement was met,” he said, adding that all contact tracing regarding those 244 infections had likewise been completed.

He said the HSE was in the process of contacting all other hospitals in the State to verify that they also have been submitting details of all their known infections in a timely manner.

The first phase of Ireland’s lockdown exit plan will begin next week.

From Monday, small groups of up to four people will be able to outside, while keeping two metres apart.

People involved mainly in outdoor work will be able to return to work, including construction workers, gardeners, and people tending to allotments.

Garden centres, hardware stores, farmers’ markets, opticians and mechanics will also be able to reopen.

Sports like golf and tennis will be allowed again.

As the restrictions begin to lift, the public has been urged to wear face coverings when using busy public transport or in an enclosed indoor public area.