Further 39 COVID-19 Deaths Announced As Confirmed Cases Pass 15,000

The COVID-19 death toll has reached 610 after officials announced 39 further deaths this evening.

Meanwhile 493 more cases have been confirmed taking the national total to 15,251.

The Department of Health said 37 of the deaths were reported in the east of the country with two in the west.

There were 20 men and 19 women among the dead. Some 27 were living with underlying health conditions.

The @hpscireland has today been informed that 39 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died.

-37 deaths located in the east, 2 in the west of the country

-The deaths included 19 females and 20 males#covid19ireland

— MerrionStreet.ie #StayAtHome (@merrionstreet) April 19, 2020

Up to now, 57% of the patients that have died in Ireland have been men and 43% have been women.

Their ages range from 23 to 105-years-old.

Some 337 were admitted to hospital with their symptoms while 46 were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

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Today’s data from the @hpscireland, as of midnight, Friday, 17 April (14,602 cases) reveals:

-The median age of confirmed cases is 48 years

-2,223 cases (15%) have been hospitalised

-Of those hospitalised, 303 cases have been admitted to ICU#COVID19ireland

— MerrionStreet.ie #StayAtHome (@merrionstreet) April 19, 2020

It comes after the HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said the backlog in Ireland’s COVID-19 testing system has now been cleared.

He said 4,000 residents and staff at residential care homes have been tested for COVID-19 this weekend.

Minister for Health Simon Harris at the Department of Health in Dublin, 13-04-2020. Image: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews

Meanwhile, Health Minister Simon Harris said he would like to see if schools could be re-opened for one day a week when officials begin to relax COVID-19 restrictions.

He said pubs packed with people will not be permitted until an effective vaccine has been found and warned that large gatherings and major sporting events are unlikely to return this year.

The comment led the Irish National Teacher’s Organisation to warn that teachers must be consulted before any decision is made on reopening schools.

Meanwhile, the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) said his comments had “petrified the entire pub sector.”

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-3,788 cases are associated with healthcare workers

-Dublin has the highest number of cases at 7,379 (51% of all cases) followed by Cork with 1,028 cases (7%)#COVID19ireland

— MerrionStreet.ie #StayAtHome (@merrionstreet) April 19, 2020

As of midnight on Friday, 15% of the 14,602 confirmed cases of the virus in Ireland had been hospitalised.

Of those 303 were taken to the ICU.

Healthcare workers still make up nearly one quarter of Ireland’s confirmed cases at 3,788.

More than half the confirmed cases in Ireland are in Dublin, followed by Cork with 7%.

Some 63% are believed to have picked up the virus in the community in Ireland, with 32% picking it up off a previously diagnosed case. 5% had recently travelled abroad.

One further COVID-19 related death was announced in the North this afternoon bringing the death toll to 194.

Meanwhile 159 more cases were confirmed bringing the total to 2645.

It means the death toll in the island of Ireland stands at 804 and the number of confirmed cases is 17,896.