The National Public Health Emergency Team is to issue new recommendations to hospitals and nursing homes to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The virus has claimed a further 17 lives here on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 71 - while 325 new cases have been confirmed.

There are now 3,235 diagnosed cases in the country, a quarter of which involve healthcare workers.

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The remote hearing of certain court cases through video link is going to be piloted next month.

The Chief Justice and the Presidents of the Court Jurisdictions have outlined the plan that will see remote hearings piloted from the third week in April.

They say this will allow the possibility of hearing some cases without bringing parties into the one court room

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The Garda Representative Association is calling for clarity on the powers of arrest during the current pandemic.

It says members are concerned following recent incidents where colleagues have been coughed and spat at by people claiming to have Covid-19.

President of the GRA, Jim Mulligan, says having access to personal protective equipment such as masks and spit hoods would help.

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Over 650 new beds have been made available to asylum seekers in direct [provision to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the centres.

They will be located in Dublin, Galway and Cork and will supplement the facilities already in use across the country - with older people moved to allow them cocoon and self-isolate.

Over 5,500 people are in the country's 39 centres, including 1,700 children awaiting asylum.

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There are now more than 846,000 cases of the coronavirus worldwide.

Some 41,000 people have died - with more than 12,000 of those in Italy.

The second-worst hit country is Spain, which has reported more than 8,000 fatalities.