There have been no new Coronavirus death reported today – meaning 1,763 is the death toll in Ireland still.
While there has been a total of 14 new cases of Coronavirus have been diagnosed in Ireland today.
That means there is now a total of 25,943 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “11 of today’s cases were close contacts of confirmed cases and half of these had no symptoms.
“If you are concerned that you have been in contact with a confirmed case please come forward for testing. Do not wait for symptoms to emerge.
“There are now 8 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our hospital system, the lowest number since early March.
“However, across Europe the pandemic appears to be accelerating once again. We have an opportunity to avoid a similar scenario here.
“We must take it by focusing once again on keeping our distance, washing our hands, wearing face coverings and continuing to make safe decisions that will protect ourselves, our friends, our families. No one is safe unless everyone is safe.”
Positive Update on Vaccines
US biotechnology company Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine induced a robust immune response and prevented the coronavirus from replicating in the noses and lungs of monkeys, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The fact that the vaccine prevented the virus from replicating in the nose is seen as particularly crucial in preventing it from being transmitted onward to others.
The same outcome did not occur when the vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University was tested on monkeys, though that vaccine did prevent the virus from entering the animals’ lungs and making them very sick.
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.
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