There have been 255 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the Republic, according to the Department of Health.

The latest figures bring the total amount of cases here to 30,985.

One further death has been reported in the last 24 hours, meaning the number of coronavirus-related deaths here stands at 1,784.

Of the latest cases, 68% concern people who are under 45 years of age.

34% are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case, while 69 cases have been identified as community transmission.

156 of today's cases are in Dublin, while there are 22 in Waterford, 13 in Donegal, 11 in Wicklow, 9 in Limerick, 8 in Kildare, and 5 in Clare.

The remaining 31 cases are in Carlow, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Laois, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Tipperary, Westmeath and Wexford.

Garda patrols in Dublin

Meanwhile, Gardaí are set to increase the number of high visibility patrols around Dublin in a bid to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases in the capital.

Gardaí are to increase their patrols on foot, in cars and on bikes throughout the county to support the public health guidelines, particularly in relation to social distancing and gatherings of large groups.

John Twomey, the Deputy Commissioner of Policing and Security, said: "As the Acting CMO has said, in Dublin we are now entering a critical phase. As a result, we will have a high visibility presence throughout Dublin to support the public health guidelines and regulations.

"It is vital that people living in, working in and visiting Dublin limit their social interactions, maintain social distancing, wear face masks in shops and on public transport, and not gather in groups larger than outlined in the public health advice."

Main image: Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, is seen during a COVID-19 press briefing in the Department of Health. Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie