77 more people have died in the Republic of Ireland after being diagnosed with COVID-19 - the highest number of deaths announced in a single day to date.
The total number of deaths across the Republic now stands at 687.
401 new cases of coronavirus have also been detected here, bringing the total number of positive tests to 15,652.
While the 77 deaths have been reported today, Dr Tony Holohan said that they did not all happen within the same period of time.
Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 77 people diagnosed with #COVID19 in Ireland have died.— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) April 20, 2020
67 of the deaths reported today happened in the east, four in the west, four in the north-west and two in the south.
The people who died included 32 males and 44 females (the gender was not specified in one case), and the median age of today’s reported deaths is 84.
54 of the patients were reported as having had underlying health conditions.
Earlier today, it was revealed that more than one million people are receiving some sort of State income support amid the impact from the COVID-19 crisis.
