Coronavirus Ireland: 10 further deaths and 426 new cases 

There have been 10 further deaths due to Covid-19 in Ireland and 426 new cases, NPHET has confirmed today.

Of the deaths reported today, four occurred in April, five occurred March and one in February. The median age of those who died was 84 years and the age range was 77 - 97 years.

There has been a total of 4,884 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland, and 247,489 confirmed cases.

Of the cases notified today, 203 are men and 221 are women, with 74pc being under 45 years of age. The median age is 29 years old.

Nationally, 156 cases were in Dublin, 39 in Donegal, 28 in Kildare, 28 in Meath, 25 in Limerick and the remaining 150 cases are spread across 18 other counties.

As of 8am today, 153 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 47 are in ICU. There have also been 10 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

As of April 25, 1,398,061 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland, with 998,134 people having received their first dose and 399,927 people having received their second.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said yesterday that: “As a country, we have now given a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine to 25pc of eligible adults.

“In order to protect the vital work of the vaccination programme in offering us all protection from Covid-19, it is important we continue to remain vigilant and careful. Right now, we need to protect the progress we have made together.”

Discussing the progress Ireland has made, he added that: “While we should remain cautious, we can also be cautiously optimistic. Our vaccination programme, alongside the continued commendable adherence of the vast majority of people in Ireland to the public health advice, are the key to exiting this pandemic in the coming months.

“However, doing things like mixing indoors when disease is still circulating at a high level puts our progress at risk. Please continue to act in the best interests of one another and be safe when socialising.”

Yesterday, several restrictions were lifted, with some outdoor sports now being permitted. They are primarily non-contact sports like golf and tennis. However, these sports can only take place with a maximum of two households.

In addition, zoos have also reopened. Dublin Zoo, Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, and Tayto Park in Meath all reopened parts of their facilities as a result. Pet farms are similarly allowed to welcome visitors.

Funeral restrictions have also changed, with 25 people now permitted to attend one. However, there has been no increase in the number of people allowed to go to a wedding.

Meanwhile, the Covid-19 situation in India remains dangerous, as hospitals across the country are turning away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced yesterday that Ireland would donate 700 oxygen concentrators to India.

“These devices draw oxygen from the air and deliver it to the patient at over 90pc concentration. The donation is being made from stocks originally purchased by the HSE for use in a field hospital setting, as part of pandemic preparations,” he said.

Former President and UN Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson has called for political pressure to support an international campaign for intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines to be waived. This would allow vaccine production to be increased globally, particularly in developing nations such as India.

“The experts are very clear, even if one country does not have access to vaccines, it will not guarantee that the rest of the world will be safe, simply because you'll have variants that we are actually seeing,” she said on RTÉ's Drivetime last week.

Last year, South Africa and India jointly requested that the World Trade Organization temporarily suspend intellectual property. However, their push proved to be unsuccessful.

Irish Independent