Nearly a third of COVID-19 patients in Ireland have been under the age of 34.

A further 74 people had tested positive for COVID-19 as of lunchtime yesterday, bringing the total in the Republic to 366.

Meanwhile there are 68 confirmed cases in the North – bringing the total on the island of Ireland to 434.

Here, the Department of Health published a breakdown of the first 271 cases in the Republic.

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, delivers a COVID-19 update, 18-03-2020. Image: RollingNews

One-in-five COVID-19 patients were the result of community transmission, while nearly 60% were linked with travel or contact with a confirmed case.

The cause of transmission is still under investigation for 20% of patients.

Some 30% of patients were hospitalised, with 2% admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

"Wake-up call"

Nearly a third of all cases were confirmed in people under the age of 34.

The country’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said that should act as a wake-up call to young people.

“Our message to younger people is that it might not be you that we are concerned about but it is your grandparents we are concerned about,” he said.

“It is older relatives in your family, it is members of your family that have chronic illness, that are on medications that suppress their immune system.

“So, if you are young person, think about the people you love. Think about the people who are important to you. They are the people we are trying to protect by you avoiding picking up this particular infection and passing it on.”

Meanwhile, just over a third of patients were over the age of 55 and 38% were between 35 and 54-years-of-age.

Counties

Dublin, Cork and Limerick had the highest number of coronavirus cases in Ireland.

Leitrim, Laois and Monaghan are the only counties that did not have any confirmed cases – with 15 counties recording five or less.

After the big three, Galway was worst affected with 12 cases, followed by Wicklow with nine, Westmeath with seven, Waterford with seven and Kerry with six.

Healthcare workers

Some 59 healthcare workers have been diagnosed with the virus – nearly 40% of whom had recently travelled.

The Dáil is set to pass emergency legislation handing authorities sweeping new powers to prevent the spread of the virus today.