COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 1,400 With 29 Further Deaths

A further 29 coronavirus-related deaths have been announced, taking the death toll in the Republic to 1,403.

Meanwhile 137 new cases have been confirmed, taking the national total to 22,385.

One death, previously believed to be due to the virus, has since been denotified.

The CMO Dr Tony Holohan and Deputy CMO Dr Ronan Glynn at the latest COVID-19 briefing in the Department of Health, 06-05-2020. Image: Rory Walsh/Today FM

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the country has now achieved its goal of suppressing the virus.

“The reproduction number is between 0.5 -0.6," he said.

"We have achieved our goal of suppressing the spread of the disease, it was not easy for anyone but there is no question that our collective effort has saved lives.

“Now we look to the pattern of COVID-19 going forward as we attempt to ease restrictions.

"These weeks are just as important as the first weeks of our response. Our behaviours are crucial in maintaining our progress and keeping the reproduction number below 1.”

Health Minister Simon Harris. Photo by: Photograph: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

It comes after the Health Minister Simon Harris told the Dáil that the reproductive rate of the virus has fallen further.

He said the R0 number is now between 0.3 and 0.8.

Meanwhile, admissions to hospitals and Intensive Care Units have halved in the past week.

“Last week hospital admissions were around 40 a day, whereas this week, I'm told by the modelling, that it's around 20 a day,” said Minister Harris.

“Last week, ICU admissions were around four to six a day, whereas the modelling now tells me it's around two a day this week.”

As of 11am Thursday 7 May the @hpscireland has been notified of 137 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 22,385 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.#COVID19ireland

— MerrionStreet.ie #StayAtHome (@merrionstreet) May 7, 2020

As of midnight on Tuesday, 2,891 (13%) of the country’s confirmed cases had been hospitalised with 376 admitted to intensive care.

Women make up 57% of the confirmed cases and nearly a quarter of the total are healthcare workers.

Dublin accounts for 49% of the country’s cases with 10,840 followed by Kildare with 6% (1,302) and Cork with 5% (1,197).

Where doctors were able to determine the method of transmission, 625 of patients picked it up in the community in Ireland, 35% picked it up off a previously diagnosed patients and 3% had recently travelled abroad.

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group said people should continue to follow the COVID-19 guidelines.

“The number of ICU admissions, new cases and deaths is now falling and has been for over a week,” he said.

“This is driven by a reduction of transmission of the virus in the community and reinforces the importance of our behaviours going forward.”