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More than one third of new Covid-19 cases aged under 35

The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in hospital intensive care units has reduced significantly and now stands at nine 9
The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in hospital intensive care units has reduced significantly and now stands at nine 9

One more person who was diagnosed with Covid-19 has died, the Department of Health has said.

It brings the total number of deaths associated with the virus to 1,727.

There have also been 11 more confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases here to 25,405.

No further coronavirus deaths were recorded in Northern Ireland during past 24 hours, Stormont health officials have said, meaning the death toll associated with Covid-19 remains at 547.

There was one new confirmed case, bringing the total to 4,874.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that the National Public Health Emergency Team has noted that mote than one third of new cases in the past 14 days involved people under 35.

He also said that a number of EU countries have reported an increase in new cases.

"7% of cases notified in Ireland over the past fortnight have been associated with travel," Dr Holohan said, adding that NPHET has expressed a "clear view that overseas travel poses a risk to importation of the disease and to further transmission in Ireland".

He said that Ireland has made "significant gains in suppressing Covid-19" and our task over the coming weeks and months will be to maintain those gains.

"The ECDC has recently warned that the pandemic is not over. Ireland has made significant gains in suppressing COVID-19. Our task over the coming weeks and months is maintaining these gains."

The World Health Organization says that data to date suggests that 80% of Covid-19 infections are mild or asymptomatic, 15% are severe infection, requiring oxygen and 5% are critical, requiring ventilation.


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The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in hospital intensive care units has reduced significantly and now stands at nine.

During the peak, there were 160 patients in intensive care on one day with coronavirus.

The patients with confirmed Covid-19 are being cared for at five hospitals: in Dublin at the Mater, Tallaght and Beaumont; and in Cork at the Mercy University Hospital and Cork University Hospital.

According to the latest overnight HSE operational figures, there are also ten suspected cases, waiting for a test result.

There are now 82 intensive care or critical care beds vacant in acute hospitals for all patients.

While the health system has 439 of these ICU/CCU beds in place, 362 are open and staffed.

Overall in hospitals, there are 31 confirmed cases of the virus, plus 121 suspected cases.

Separately the Cabinet has approved the decision to move to Phase 3 of the roadmap to reopen the country from Monday.

It has also approved proposals to make the wearing of a face covering compulsory on all forms of public transport.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also said foreign travel to some countries will be able to resume from 9 July.

There is also expected to be a discussion on how the country might ease travel restrictions to some other EU countries.

Earlier, an infectious disease specialist told the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response that he believes it is inevitable Ireland will experience a resurgence of cases as restrictions are relaxed and more travel permitted.

Professor Paddy Mallon said that the stress test on the system will come in August with holidays and more travel, and then the onset of seasonal flu.