COVID-19 UPDATE: A further six pass away as Taoiseach says intention is to open schools in September

A further six 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 1,645 while the number of confirmed cases has now reached 24,876 after another 39 were diagnosed.

Meanwhile, the Government intends to reopen primary and secondary schools at the end of August, the Taoiseach has said.

At a press briefing after today’s Cabinet meeting, Leo Varadkar said they are particularly paying attention to new and emerging research about the potential risk of schools being open.

A report by HSE experts has said that schools are not a high risk setting for the transmission of Covid-19.

The report, which was published in a European journal on infectious disease surveillance,  states that the reopening of schools should be considered as an early rather than a late measure in the lifting of restrictions.

The public health experts examined all known cases of the disease where those involved had been in a school environment in this country.

There were six cases – three children and three adults – including one teacher.