54 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland

A significant rise as the Department of Health releases the latest figures.

54 new cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland as of Monday evening, 16 March. Of those, 30 are male while 24 are female. 41 of the cases are located in the east of the country. 11 are located in the south. Two are located in the north/west. https://twitter.com/roinnslainte/status/1239657620375470082 Including figures from Northern Ireland, there are now 275 cases on the island of Ireland, with 223 of those located in the Republic. Speaking earlier in the day, Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health Tony Holohan noted that the next seven days are "vital" with regards to flattening the curve of Covid-19 in Ireland. Monday has proved to be a particularly newsworthy day on all things coronavirus-related. Shortly before the latest figures were revealed, Minister for Health Simon Harris strongly urged citizens to avoid all non-essential travel for the remainder of the month. Full story here. Harris echoed the words of World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who called for all suspected cases of Covid-19 to be tested worldwide. Full story here. Also on Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued new emergency guidelines including a temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU. Full story here. Croke Park, meanwhile, looks set to become a drive-through testing facility for Covid-19, according to a message issued to local residents. Full story here. Responding to calls from the public, Lidl Ireland will introduce priority shopping hours for elderly and vulnerable customers from Tuesday. Full story here. Speaking on Monday morning, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar urged the public not to trust in or spread WhatsApp-based rumours concerning Covid-19. Full story here. On Monday evening, Trinity College students were ordered to leave campus accommodation as new Covid-19 cases emerged. Full story here. Elsewhere, a UK general practitioner and media pundit apologised following his appearance on Good Morning Britain in which he claimed that the Republic of Ireland does not have a dedicated health service. Full story here.