The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has confirmed 20 further deaths and 584 cases of Covid-19 in the Republic.
Of the deaths reported today, 11 occurred in March, three in February and six in January.
The median age of those who died was 73 years old, while the ages ranged from 57 to 91 years.
Of the cases notified today:
- 72 per cent are under 45 years of age;
- The median age is 34 years old;
- 222 are located in Dublin, 44 in Kildare, 33 in Offaly, 31 in Meath, 29 in Westmeath and the remaining 225 cases are spread across 19 other counties.
As of 8am today, there were 317 patients hospitalised with the virus, including 67 in intensive care. 25 additional hospitalisations were seen over the past 24 hours.
In Northern Ireland, no further deaths of patients who previously tested positive for the disease were reported on Friday for the third day in a row.
Another 181 confirmed cases of the virus were recorded in the last 24-hour reporting period.
On Friday morning, there were 143 Covid-positive confirmed inpatients in hospital, of whom 13 were in intensive care.
Friday update
Meanwhile on Friday, the Department of Education has confirmed that all schools will fully reopen to students on April 12th.
In a major development for Ireland’s hotel quarantine system, the first group of people to arrive from countries deemed high risk were escorted to a designated facility earlier today.
Hundreds of people are continuing to attend events in dwellings despite Covid-19 restrictions, according to a Garda update.
It comes as the profile of the disease is also changing, as new research has found the proportion of daily cases among healthcare workers and the over-65s has dramatically fallen as the vaccine programme is rolled out.
Lastly, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has rebuked privately-owned Beacon Hospital after it vaccinated 20 staff and teachers at a private school using leftover jabs this week.
