Health officials have announced two further coronavirus-related deaths and 156 new confirmed cases.

It takes the death toll in Ireland to 1,777 and the total number of confirmed cases to 27,908.

One previously announced death has been denotified along with three previously confirmed cases.

Some 15 of the new cases are associated with community transmission while 68 are associated with known outbreaks or previously confirmed cases.

Dublin accounts for 55 of the new cases while 36 were in Kildare, 12 wer ein Tipperary, nine were in Limerick, seven were in Kilkenny and six were in Waterford.

The rest are spread between Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Laois, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

Over 70% of the new cases are under 45 years of age.

Gatherings

The acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: “This weekend, if you are having people over, please have no more than six visitors, from no more than three households, to your home.

“It is vital that people all across the country follow the public health advice,” he said.

“If you have any symptoms, isolate and contact your GP by phone immediately.”

Tests

Earlier the HSE said Ireland completed 13,080 tests yesterday, its highest number of tests in a single day yesterday.

Dr Glynn urged people not to allow their anger over the Golf Gate scandal see them dropping their guard.

There are increasing calls for the Dáil to be recalled over the scandal which saw 80 people, including a Government minister, a Supreme Court Judge and an EU Commissioner, attending a golf dinner in County Galway.

Agriculture Minister Dara Calleary resigned over the controversy yesterday, while Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer resigned as Leas-Cathaoirleach of the Seanad.

Today EU Commissioner Phil Hogan is facing mounting pressure to resign over his participation along with Supreme Court Justice Seamus Woulfe.

Prison

Meanwhile, Newstalk revealed that a woman in the Dóchas Centre in Dublin became the first prisoner to test positive for COVID-19 yesterday.

It was part of routine testing of new committals and the woman had been in quarantine since she came into the prison ten days ago.

The Irish Penal Reform Trust said it is “more important now than ever that all stakeholders work together to ensure that no one is sent to prison for less serious offences.”