HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed that there are a further 325 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland, and a total of 30,213 tests have been carried out.

Another 17 people are confirmed to have died from the coronavirus, according to figures released by the Department of Health this evening.

Of those 17 new reported deaths, the median age is 84, and eight of those patients were reported to have had an underlying condition.

Four of the patients were female, and 13 were male.

Eight patients were located in the east, three in the south, three in the north-west, and three in the west of the country.

It brings to 71 the number of deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland; the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases now stands at 3,235.

More than 30,000 tests have been carried out in labs across the country and the positivity rate for tests has increased from 6% (before new criteria) to 15%. — Michelle Hennessy (@michellehtweet) March 31, 2020 Source: Michelle Hennessy /Twitter

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan says that number of contacts people who are confirmed to have Covid-19 have has reduced from around 20 before any measures were taken, then to five, and now to just three.

He also said that since the criteria for who should be tested was changed, the number of positive cases has risen from 6% of those who are tested, to 15% of all those who are tested.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has analysed Ireland’s total cases as of midnight on Sunday (when there were 2,677 cases). They found:

49% are male and 49% are female, with 118 clusters involving 494 cases

22% of clusters located in private houses, 20% located in nursing homes and 18% located in hospitals

Median age of confirmed cases is 47 years

703 cases (26%) have been hospitalised

Of those hospitalised, 113 cases have been admitted to ICU

647 cases are associated with healthcare workers

Dublin has the highest number of cases at 1,487 (55% of all cases) followed by Cork with 238 cases (9%)

Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 51%, close contact accounts for 26%, travel abroad accounts for 23%.

With reporting from Michelle Hennessy at the Department of Health, and Gráinne Ní Aodha.