Health officials have announced one new coronavirus-related death and 25 new confirmed cases.

It brings the death toll in Ireland to 1,679 and the total number of confirmed cases to 25,201.

Seven previously confirmed cases have since been denotified.

As of midnight on Friday, just over 32% (8,057) of the country’s cases were associated with health workers and 57% were women.

Some 3,321 people had been hospitalised and 409 had been admitted to intensive care.

Dublin accounted for 48% of the country’s cases, with Kildare and Cork both accounting for 6%.

It comes amid calls for the two-metre social rule to be reduced.

The Restaurant Association of Ireland said 90% of its members will not be able to reopen unless the guideline is reduced to one-metre.

Meanwhile, Dr Gabriel Fitzpatrick, Medical Director of Trinity Clinics, said the distance guidelines should be reduced if it prevents schools from reopening in September.

Finally, the latest HSE figures show the average number of close contacts for people with COVID-19 has increased in the past few days.

The figure is now more than three - despite the figure falling to two last month.

The data also shows 17 percent of people in the past seven days who requested a coronavirus test had to wait more than two days.

As of last night, 124 people were being treated for the illness in the country's hospitals.