LATEST: Kilkenny among 814 new cases of virus, schools will not close for longer mid-term break: Minister

Two more people have died after contracting the coronavirus as 814 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed this evening.

The overall death toll as a result of the virus now stands at 1,826. There are now 42,528 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, according to the latest daily briefing from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

The breakdown of the latest cases is as follows: 226 are in Dublin, 77 in Cork, 64 in Galway, 56 in Donegal, 48 in Meath with the remaining 343 cases are spread across all remaining counties.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said this evening: “It is vital that the entire population consistently implement public health advice into their daily lives; keep your social contacts to an absolute minimum and keep physical distance when you need to be out of your home.

“22 out of 26 counties have 7 day incidence rates as a percentage of 14 day incidence rates above 50%. This shows rapidly increasing growth rates across the country.”

The latest cases were confirmed after the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly ruled out giving a longer mid-term break for schools.

Minister Donnelly said evidence shows that schools are not contributing to a rise in virus numbers.

“We need to keep children in school and keeping the schools open is a big priority for Government,” he told RTÉ’s This Week programme.

The minister also said that while the number of Covid-cases is likely to get worse over the next fortnight, a so-called “circuit breaker” – a short and sharp full lockdown – is not being considered yet.

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