COVID-19 LATEST: 10 more die as 200 new cases are confirmed, HSE plans for surge in mid-April
Ten more patients diagnosed with the coronavirus in Ireland have died as 200 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed this evening.
It brings to 46 the total number of people who have died from the virus in the Republic so far.
The latest cases were confirmed by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre this evening. There are now 2,615 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Six more people died from the virus in Northern Ireland, taking the death toll over the border to a total of 21.
Earlier today, the Health Service Executive (HSE) announced it is planning for a surge of Covid-19 cases here in mid April. However, health chiefs said it is impossible to predict exactly when the outbreak would peak in Ireland.
HSE CEO Paul Reid, chief operations officer Anne O’Connor and Public Health Medicine consultant Dr Sarah Doyle held a briefing at Citywest in Dublin to update public on all the latest developments in the ongoing battle to contain the spread of the virus.
The HSE is preparing to open a coronavirus isolation and stepdown facility at the Citywest hotel and conference centre with the ability to accommodate over 1,000 people.
Meanwhile, in welcome news the Aer Lingus A330 carrying a shipment of personal protective equipment (PPE) equipment from China landed back at Dublin Airport today and the equipment is now being distributed to hospitals and health care facilities across the country.
It is the first of 10 flights to China to deliver badly needed protective equipment to Ireland as part of a €208m deal.
According to the HSE, around €30 million of PPE equipment has already arrived in Ireland from a number of destinations across the globe, including China.
