COVID-19 UPDATE: A further 23 pass away as 600,000 receive pandemic payment

A further 23 people lost their lives from Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland in the last 24 hours, the HSE said this evening.

The total death toll here is now 1,339 while the number of confirmed cases has now reached 21,983 after another 211 were diagnosed.

The total number of deaths in Northern Ireland has reached 404 after 17 more people died overnight, according to Public Health Agency figures.

Meanwhile, a  total of 598,000 people are now relying on the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment, according to figures from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

This week’s Pandemic Unemployment Payments will cost €209.3m, with 11,000 recipients receiving the payment for the first time this week.

Workers aged under 35 account for over 43% of recipients of the payment.

Of those in receipt, 122,500 (20.5%)  are aged under 25, while 137,700 (23%) are aged between 25 and 34.

144,100 recipients (24%) are aged between 35 and 44, and 113,100 (18.9%) are aged between 45 and 54.

80,600 (13.5%) are over 55 – but persons aged over 66 are not eligible for the payment.