COVID-19: Eight Further Deaths Take Death Toll To 1,703

Eight more COVID-29 patients have died and eight further cases have been confirmed.

It brings the death toll in the Republic to 1,703 with the total number of confirmed cases standing at 25,238.

This evening, the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team was recommending a new national campaign to encourage people to wear face masks.

Health officials met to discuss the latest World Health Organisation advice on the matter this afternoon.

The new campaign will focus on best practice in shops, on public transport and where social distancing is difficult.

A poster of a woman wearing a face mask in Dublin city, 22-05-2020. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Modelling Advisory Group said the virus reproductive number has remained stable at between 0.4 and 0.8 over a number of weeks.

“The next two weeks are now critical in limiting transmission, keeping the r-number low and suppressing the virus,” he said.

“It is how we interact, as we go about our daily lives more freely, that will determine whether the r-number increases.”

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group at the nightly COVID-19 statement in the Department of Health, Dublin, 30-03-2020. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

Dr Holohan said there are currently 86 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Ireland’s hospitals, with 28 in intensive care.

As of midnight on Tuesday, just over 32.1% (8,114) of Ireland’s confirmed cases were associated with healthcare workers and 57% were women.

Some 3,307 people had been hospitalised with the virus while 412 had been admitted to intensive care.