May 25, 2020 - World

Ireland reports no new coronavirus deaths for first time since March

Ursula Perano

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images

Ireland reported no new coronavirus deaths on Monday for the first time since March 21, the Irish Times reports.

Why it matters: Ireland's chief medical officer Tony Holohan said Monday that the declining number of new cases and reported deaths over the past week indicates that "we have suppressed Covid-19 as a country. It has taken strict measures to achieve this."

"It will take another week to see any effect on disease incidence that might arise from the easing of measures in Phase One," Holohan added.

The big picture: Ireland's success in combatting the virus comes as many other countries in Europe — including its neighbor the United Kingdom, which has the second-worst death toll in the world — have struggled with their outbreaks. Like many other countries, Ireland is now beginning to loosen its coronavirus restrictions.

The state of play: The Irish National Public Health Emergency Team reported 59 new cases of the coronavirus, with over 24,000 confirmed cases in total. Ireland's total number of deaths rests at just over 1,600.

Go deeper: Irish prime minister returns to medicine to help with coronavirus crisis

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Ireland reports no new coronavirus deaths for first time since March

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