Thirty-seven more confirmed COVID-19 related deaths have been reported this evening.
Meanwhile, 185 “probable” deaths have been reported, taking the national death toll to 1,014.
Without the probable deaths included, the death toll sits at 829 after two previously reported deaths were re-categorised as being non-virus-related.
A further 577 cases of the virus have been confirmed taking the total to 18,184.
A probable death is where a doctor believes a death is associated with the virus but a lab test has not been carried out.
BREAKING: Sadly, a further 37 people with #Covid19 are known to have died in the Republic. 185 “probable” deaths have occurred too. 577 new cases confirmed. It now brings the death toll to 1,014 & the number of confirmed cases stands at 18,184.
— Shane Beatty (@ShaneBeattyNews) April 24, 2020
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the 'reporting of probable deaths comes on the back of a recommendation from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
“We did have a meeting of NPHET today and one of the things we have done is to adjust approach to reporting of mortality to add together both probable and confirmed,” he said.
“That is the new guidance that we have today form the ECDC to bring us into line with their advice and guidance to us. You may be aware that the ninth in a series of risk assessments was published late last night.
“They made that recommendation so that member states could report on a comparable basis.
“We believe there are few member states that either are or are even in a position to report some of the deaths that we are reporting to you.”
European countries mortality reporting methodsIt comes as the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned that the lockdown could be extended once again if people ease up on following the restrictions in the coming days.
He said one of the big fears for officials is “anticipatory behaviour” with people starting move around more on the basis that restrictions may soon be eased.
“Anyone who is thinking of breaking those restrictions – even if it just for a few hours or an afternoon or an evening – should bear in mind the consequences,” he said.
“It could be having to extend the current lockdown for two or three more weeks and that is not worth it just for a few hours of breach and I would really ask other people to accept that message.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar launches the Government’s new COVID-19 wellbeing initiative #InThisTogether at Government Buildings in Dublin, 24-04-2020. Image: Leon Farrell/Photocall IrelandEarlier, the Health Minister Simon Harris told The Pat Kenny Show that people are beginning to “stretch their understanding” of the guidelines as they become a “little bit fatigued” with the situation.
Dr Holohan said he can understand the rising temptation to bend the rules as the weather improves – but warned that we need to “keep the effort going” if restrictions are to be relaxed.
“We still have a lot of progress to make in terms of the pattern of this disease in this country if we are going to satisfy what we think are the important criteria to allow us recommend to Government that, in public health terms, the 5th of May is the right time for us to begin contemplating lifting restrictions,” he said.
“We can’t, at the last minute, begin to take our foot off the gas because we would lose a lot of the progress we have made.
“We need to keep the effort going to try to get the disease and the rate of disease in the community, in the nursing homes and in the other settings where this disease exists, to as low a level as possible.
Meanwhile, donations for #FormalFriday have officially passed the €110,000 mark.
Newstalk has joined forces with its sister stations to raise money to support our frontline heroes, as they continue to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
We are calling on friends, families, colleagues and businesses across Ireland to get involved and dress up today, instead of dressing down.
You can simply post a picture on social media using #FormalFriday and donate to a very worthy cause.
