Forty-one more people have died after being diagnosed with the coronavirus in the Republic bringing the total number of recorded deaths to 571.
An additional 778 confirmed cases have also been reported. 630 of these are new cases confirmed in Irish labs and 148 cases are from German test results.
The country is likely to surpass 15,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 tomorrow – there are now 14,758 cases in the state.
Galway has recorded an additional seven cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the county to 273 – the same number as Mayo.
Speaking today, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said: “This week the National Public Health Emergency Team emphasised the importance of testing in interrupting the transmission of COVID-19 in community residential settings including nursing homes.
“This sector remains a priority for our focused attention and we will continue to monitor and support them through this outbreak.”
Of today’s reported deaths, 35 were in the east of the country, two in the North-West and four in the West.
Twenty-three were females and 18 were males and the median age of the deaths is 83.
As of Thursday midnight, 3,573 healthcare workers had tested positive for the disease.
On the island of Ireland, there are now 17,244 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
A total of 674 deaths have been recorded, however in the North only those with the disease who die in hospital are recorded in the official figures, meaning the actual figure is likely to be considerably higher.
