1,720 people have now died from Coronavirus in Ireland – an increase of three from yesterday.
Not all of these people passed away today – this is the number that were reported to the Department of Health today.
While there has been a total of 10 new cases of Coronavirus have been diagnosed in Ireland today.
That means there is now a total of 25,391 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
As of midnight Monday 22nd June, 404,989 tests have been carried out. Over the past week, 18,368 tests were carried out. 97 tests were positive, giving a positivity rate of 0.5%.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “While we now have a robust testing system in place. The success of this system is dependent on people isolating and coming forward to their GP as soon as they experience symptoms.
“Cough, fever, shortness of breath, change in smell or taste, flu like symptoms should be treated as COVID-19 until a GP assessment or test deems otherwise.
“If you are experiencing these symptoms, do not go to work or socialise. Self isolate in your household and contact your GP by phone without delay.”
Northern Ireland, the UK and globally
There was one new Coronavirus related death in Northern Ireland, leaving the total at 546.
But for the second time in past four days, there have been no new Covid-19 cases recorded in Northern Ireland in the previous 24 hour period, so the number of cases remains at 4,871.
The UK coronavirus death toll now stands at 42,647.
There are now a total 9,230,000 cases of Coronavirus globally. There have been more than 475,000 deaths while 4,972,000 have recovered.
INMO Chief calls infections ‘a scandal’
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said it is a “scandal” that Ireland has the highest number of Covid-19 infection rates amongst health workers globally.
General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha told an Oireachtas committee that 88% of infected healthcare workers picked up the virus at work. 60% of those infected are still ill.
This amounts to 4,823 staff, according to data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, contained in a submission from the INMO to today’s meeting of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response.
HSE to restart services on phased basis
The Health Service Executive has said that hospital services will be reintroduced, on a phased basis, over the coming months, due to Covid-19.
It said that hospitals have been rearranging services to take account of all infection control and social distancing measures.
The HSE said this will affect how treatment and appointments are delivered and “will see the re-introduction of hospital services on a phased basis over the coming months”.
Issue for creches
Crèche operators have warned that they may have to reduce capacity in some facilities because new staff will not be covered by the State’s Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).
The Association of Childhood Professionals said the issue may lead to the closure of rooms at facilities due to lack of staff.
The organisation told the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response that this will have a knock-on effect on “working parents and may lead to a capacity issue”.
Important information
Symptoms of Covid-19 include:
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Fever
- Breathing difficulties.
Further resources:
- The HSE: Official advice on the coronavirus in Ireland. This is being updated based on the number of confirmed cases and how the virus spreads in Ireland.
- The Department of Foreign Affairs: Official advice on where to avoid travelling to. Also a resource for those who are abroad.
- The World Health Organization (WHO): The UN agency on global public health publishes statements and daily situation reports based on the latest data.
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC): The EU agency on the number of cases, deaths and how it’s spreading in Europe.
- The Johns Hopkins University map: A heat map of the confirmed cases across the world.
A helpline for older people who are concerned about the coronavirus has been launched by Alone. The number is 0818 222 024, and it’s open Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm.
