The number of patients in hospitals with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 continues to reduce and now stands at 569, a reduction of around 250 patients on this day last week.
There are 76 confirmed or suspected cases in intensive care units.
The hospitals with most cases are Tallaght University Hospital, the Mater, St James's and University Hospital Limerick.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation have said that emergency departments must not become reservoirs of healthcare acquired infections for patients or staff.
Nationally, more than 50 patients are waiting for admission to a hospital bed, according to Trolleywatch figures.
The INMO said there were 21 patients waiting in the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick and 14 at the Midland Regional Mullingar.
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Earlier, Minister for Health Simon Harris said today was an important day as Covid-19 had not gone away.
Strict restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, which have been in place for more than two months, are being eased today.
However, speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Minister Harris said we all need to approach the coming weeks with a "collective sense of cop-on".
"We all need to approach these next couple of weeks showing I suppose a collective sense of cop on". Minister for Health @SimonHarrisTD tells @MorningIreland he is "both pleased and nervous" as the first phase of easing #coronavirus restrictions begins | https://t.co/yro2bXPnFk pic.twitter.com/BdiaBIwZWZ
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 18, 2020
There is some nervousness about the effect easing the restrictions will have on the spread of Covid-19, he said.
The minister also said there was concern the virus could begin spreading in the community again as more people begin moving about.
Just because we can go somewhere new, he said, does not mean we should go, unless we really need to.
He said if we get the next three weeks right, it will show that we can live alongside the virus and it is still "in our hands".
Minister Harris said powers given to gardaí to allow them enforce the rules have been extended, but they are not there to catch anyone out and are there to keep people safe.
Health Service Executive Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry has said the reproduction number of the virus could rise rapidly, and that it would be a week before any effect could be seen.
Dr Cillian de Gascun of the National Virus Reference Laboratory said the current low numbers gave the country some wriggle room.
The number of new cases announced last night was the lowest since 16 March, while numbers in hospital with confirmed cases of the virus have been falling.
To keep the numbers low, the advice remains to stay at home as much as possible. Mr Harris said health experts will be watching the reproductive rate carefully.
He said testing and tracing was a major focus for the HSE and is an area that will require constant vigilance and monitoring.
The minister also said that he hoped to sign legislation this week that will make it mandatory for people travelling into Ireland to self-isolate and to fill out a passenger locator form.
"As you come into our country today you are expected to self-isolate ... but I want to put that on a legal footing and I'm to be in a position to do that this week", Minister for Health @SimonHarrisTD tells @MorningIreland | https://t.co/yro2bXPnFk #Covid19 #Coronavirus pic.twitter.com/TUM2akdVMF
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 18, 2020
He said that cemeteries should be able to reopen from today, but this was a matter for local authorities to decide.
In relation to weddings, Mr Harris said it was highly unlikely weddings of 100 people would be able to take place from July and it is more likely that small gatherings will be allowed.
From today, up to four people who do not live together will now be able to meet up outdoors, but exercise should still be within 5km of home.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said hand washing, respiratory etiquette, and physical distancing were more important than ever.
He said anyone with cold or flu symptoms should isolate at home and call their GP.
The HSE has said it was aiming this week to have 90% of tests for Covid-19 fully completed within three days.
Yesterday, the Department of Health said a further ten people with Covid-19 had died, bringing the total number of deaths in Ireland to 1,543.
The number of new confirmed cases, 64, was the lowest number since St Patrick's Day. Overall, there have been 24,048 cases of Covid-19 reported.
Around 80% of cases of Covid-19 will be a mild to moderate illness, close to 14% have severe disease and around 6% are critical.
Generally, you need to be 15 minutes or more in the vicinity of an infected person and within 2 metres of them, to be considered at-risk, or a close contact.
Testing of contacts to increase
The President of the Irish College of General Practitioners has said from today, new test changes mean that 200-250 people, who have been in contact with a referred case of Covid-19, will be tested regardless of whether or not they have had symptoms of the virus.
Speaking on RTÉ News at One, Dr Mary Favier said "there's just under 100 cases each day and so between 2-3 contacts on average per case so that would affect between 200 and 250 people over the next number of days would start to get those calls sending them for a test".
She said with the easing of restrictions, there is concern that the number of contacts could rise, that some of these could be positive and pre-symptomatic.
She said these people will be "referred by public health for a test, and the GP will get the result of that and public health will follow it up".
She said there should not be any need to be concerned about retail workers because they should be taking the appropriate precautions of social distancing and working behind perspex screens.
Dr Favier said there is concern for those working in congested settings who cannot keep six feet away such as essential workers, who are more likely to have a more complex case in terms of contact tracing, with a higher number of contacts. It is important to try to capture that number and capture them early before the disease spreads, she said.
She said GPs would welcome a change in that testing criteria as they are seeing some patients who have lost their sense of taste and smell and it is a notable symptom.
Dr Favier said GPs are seeing other unusual symptoms associated with Covid-19, such as "unusual skin presentations, things that can look like chilblains on your feet" that are not your usual flu like symptoms.
She said people are beginning to return to GP's surgeries with non-Covid related symptoms.
Additional reporting Orla O'Donnell
