Nine more COVID-19 patients have died in the Republic taking the national toll to 1,615.

Meanwhile, 37 new cases have been confirmed taking the total in Ireland to 24,735.

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said 325,795 COVID-19 tests had been carried out around the country by midnight on Monday.

He said more than 30,000 of these were carried out in the past week – with 633 – of 2.1% - coming back positive.

He said the National Public Health Emergency Team would consider broadening the criteria for testing when it meets on Thursday.

BREAKING: Sadly, a further 9 people with #COVID19 have died. 37 new cases have been confirmed.

— Kacey O'Riordan (@KaceyORiordan) May 26, 2020

Of the 24,629 cases that were confirmed by Monday, nearly 32% (7,852) were associated with healthcare workers.

Some 13% (3,233) had been hospitalised with 395 admitted to intensive care.

Dublin accounted for 48% of the cases at 11,894, followed by Cork with 1,440 (6%) and Kildare with 1,395 (6%).

Tadhg Daly appears before the Dáil Special Committee on COVID-19 Response. Image: Oireachtas screenshot

It comes after Nursing Homes Ireland said residents were left isolated by the State in the early days of the outbreak.

Chief Executive Tadhg Daly told the Dáil COVID-19 committee that the response was “almost exclusively” targeted at the acute hospital sector with thousands of elderly people left behind.

He also told Newstalk Breakfast it was 'unforgivable' that people were transferred from acute hospitals to nursing homes without being tested for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, childcare providers warned that they have received ‘no guidance whatsoever’ on reopening.

A survey, carried out by the Federation of Early Childhood Providers found that the majority do not plan to reopen when they are permitted to in Phase Three.

Some 609 providers took part in the survey - which found 60% would definitely not be re-opening, 28% were unsure and 12% were planning to open.