New confirmed COVID-19 cases bring total on island of Ireland to 769
The Department of Health has confirmed 126 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total in the Republic to 683.
It brings the total on the island of Ireland to 769 after the number of cases in the North rose to 86.
Speaking at the daily briefing at the Department of Health, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said it is too early to see the impact of the restrictions put in place in response to the outbreak.
He said the impact will become clearer at the end of the month.
Emergency COVID-19 laws passed by Oireachtas
The bill granting the Government sweeping new powers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic has been passed by the Dáil and the Seanad.
The Health Preservation and other Emergency Measures Bill give authorities the power to detain people who refuse to self-isolate.
The Government now also has the power to order people to remain indoors in hard-hit areas and to shut down mass gatherings.
The legislation also gives legal effect to the new social welfare supports for people impacted by the crisis.
Rents to fall due to coronavirus outbreak
Rents are expected to plummet in cities across the country due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Property website Daft.ie said the number of one and two-bed properties available to rent in Dublin has jumped by 64% since the start of the month.
The increase is believed to be down to the collapse in demand for short-term rentals – with no tourists coming in to take advantage of the thousands of AirBnB properties advertised in the capital.
Architect Orla Hegarty, an assistant professor at University College Dublin, said the increase in supply will drive down prices.
Public urged to “redouble their efforts” on social distancing
Health Minister Simon Harris says he is nowhere near satisfied with the public's social distancing efforts.
He told Pat Kenny the increase in coronavirus cases here is largely due to the fact that we are doing more testing.
"We very much expect to see a very significant increase in the number of cases of the coronavirus diagnosed in Ireland.
"We've gone from a situation whereby until recent days we were only really testing people who'd come back from certain parts of the world - largely Italy and China - to now many GPs referring people for tests on the basis of symptoms.
Over 40,00 apply to be ‘On Call for Ireland’
The head of the Health Service Executive (HSE) says there have been over 40,000 applications for its 'On Call for Ireland' initiative.
The group has been asking all healthcare professionals from all disciplines, who are not already working in the public health service, to register.
"We will be creating extra hospital and care beds and will need extra hands to provide the care that’s needed", the HSE says.
"We need your help to meet the challenge that’s ahead."
