BREAKING: No further deaths and just six new cases, building site shut down after workers test positive

There have been no further deaths reported from Covid-19 in Ireland – while six new cases have been confirmed by the Department of Health this evening.

It means the overall death toll as a result of the virus remains at 1,753. There are now 25,766 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, according to the latest daily briefing from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

The number of cases in Kilkenny remains at 356, or around one per cent of the overall total.

The latest cases were confirmed after it emerged that a building site in Dublin city centre has been closed down temporarily after a number of workers tested positive for the virus.

The site, which is operated by John Paul Construction, was closed at the request of the Health Service Executive this morning.

There are 200 people working on the site, but it has not been disclosed how many of them have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, hopes of finding a vaccine to kill the virus grew this evening following the publication of initial results of two separate international clinical trials.

The first trial among more than 1,000 adults in the UK found its vaccine induced “strong antibody and T cell immune responses” against the novel coronavirus.

A separate trial in China involving more than 500 people showed most had developed widespread antibody immune response.

Experts said the studies, published in The Lancet medical journal, signal a major step on the road towards finding an effective and safe Covid-19 vaccine.