Dreadful news.
Officials from the Department of Health have confirmed that 39 more cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the Republic of Ireland today.
A second death attributed to the illness has also been confirmed. The patient was a man in the east of the country, who had been suffering from an underlying condition.
29 of the new cases were males, while 10 were female. Most of them came in the east of the country.
As of Saturday evening (14 March) there are 163 cases of the illness on the island of Ireland.
There has been no briefing originally scheduled for this evening. The announcement marks the largest single-day increase in confirmed cases of the virus since it first came to Ireland.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, reiterated pleas for the public to limit social interaction in order to counteract the spread of the virus. Holohan recommended other solo activities, such as going for a walk.
He also noted that emergency services were under pressure, and reminded that 112/999 are emergency phone numbers to be used when one is in need of an ambulance, and are not "an advance line."
Tonight's briefing follows a dramatic day in which Irish people were advised against non-essential travel to seven EU countries, and the United States banned travel from Ireland. As things stand, schools, colleges, public facilities, and many privately owned businesses such as pubs, gyms and restaurants are closed until at least 29 March.
