COVID-19 UPDATE: A further eight pass away as number of people on pandemic payment declines

A further eight 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 1,658 while the number of confirmed cases has now reached 25,072 after another 10 were diagnosed.

Meanwhile, the number of people claiming the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has dropped by 36,500 from 543,200,  new figures from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Another 214,700 people were on the Live Register and receiving Jobseekers Benefit at the end of April.