Three further deaths and 302 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland

The latest figures have been released.

Three more people have died in the Republic of Ireland in connection with the Covid-19 coronavirus, the Department of Health announced on Friday evening (27 March). The deaths relate to a patient in the north-west of the country and two patients in the east. 302 new cases of Covid-19 were also confirmed in the Republic, bringing the total to 2,121. 34 new cases were announced in Northern Ireland earlier on Friday, bringing that total to 275. The overall number of cases on the island of Ireland is 2,396. 22 people have died in the Republic to date in connection with the virus since the outbreak began, while 13 people have died in Northern Ireland. The Department of Health's official Covid-19 dashboard, including a county-by-county breakdown, is available here. Speaking on Newstalk on Friday morning, Minister for Health Simon Harris urged the Irish public not to leave their homes unless strictly necessary. "If you're leaving your house today to make an unnecessary visit to a friend or a family member, you're at much greater risk of spreading that virus than anybody else arriving in our country," he underlined. "If you're deciding to pop into the neighbour for a cup of coffee, human things that all we like to do, you're spreading that virus. "If you're deciding to go out in, you know, groups larger than four for a walk or a run or go to a crowded public place, you're spreading that virus and you're risking people's lives." In an attempt to make his message as clear as possible, Harris added: "I need you to stay at home unless you absolutely need to leave your home. "Every time you leave your home, every time I leave my home, every time any of us leave our homes and come into contact with more people, we risk spreading the germs that are this virus and we risk it going right throughout our community."