HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE confirmed a further 28 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in Ireland have died and there are 500 new cases of the virus.

To date, 263 patients diagnosed with the coronavirus in Ireland have died. There are now 6,574 confirmed cases of the virus in Ireland.

Data released by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has revealed that Ireland’s effort to date has had some impact of reducing the transmission of the virus.

Modelling data shows that the growth rate has reduced from 33% daily in the early weeks of the outbreak to 9% this week.

Earlier today, Minister for Health Simon Harris said restrictions on public movement currently in place as a result of the pandemic are “not going to be lifted tomorrow”.

Current restrictions see all non-essential retail outlets closed and people being told to stay home, except essential workers travelling to work or other exceptions, until this Sunday, 12 April.

Harris signed beefed-up regulations on Tuesday night that will give gardaí the power to arrest and detain individuals flouting the Covid-19 restrictions.

The laws are due to expire at midnight on Easter Sunday, but Harris has now said the restrictions are likely to remain in place for a number of weeks.

The NPHET will meet again tomorrow morning to review the impact of ongoing measures and make any necessary recommendations.