The HSE has recorded the lowest daily number of COVID-19 patients in Ireland’s hospitals for roughly three weeks.

There are 665 patients being treated for the virus in hospital.

Meanwhile, there are 93 people in intensive care – down from 160 at the start of April.

Dublin's Mater, St James's and Tallaght Hospitals have the highest number of confirmed cases.

The Department of Health last night reported 19 further coronavirus-related deaths in the Republic, taking the toll to 1,3030.

The 330 new confirmed cases bring the national total to 21,506.

Meanwhile, the HSE aims to have a three-day turnaround for COVID-19 test results from May 18th.

The Executive still hopes to hit its long-promised target of 100,000 tests per week by the same date.

The failure to hit the target is one of the reasons COVID-19 restrictions will remain largely unchanged for the next two weeks.

The health service now has the capacity to do 12,000 tests per day.

Meanwhile the Air Corps has been tasked with delivering COVID-19 tests to Germany as part o the efforts to increase testing capacity.

Its new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft flew its first batch from Baldonnel to Munich yesterday morning and a second flight left last night.

A third flight is due to leave this evening.

Last night, the HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid said large-scale testing has now been carried out in 80% of Ireland’s nursing homes.

Meanwhile, all staff and residents have been tested in 84% of homes that have a recorded outbreak.

Mr Reid said nursing home testing priorities are: “firstly the locations where we’ve had an outbreak; secondly the locations where an outbreak emerged; and thirdly all staff and residents of nursing homes.”

As of Friday, 176,000 COVID-9 tests had been carried out around the country.