A further 25 people have died and 480 more cases of coronavirus were confirmed this evening.
The latest figures bring the death toll to 288.
The Department of Health say a further 1,035 samples tested for coronavirus in Germany have returned positive, bringing the total number of cases here to over 8,000.
A spokesperson said: “To date, there has been 14,000 samples returned from German labs, of which 1,035 were positive.
“With the latest German figures included, there are now 8,089 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.”
Out of the deaths reported at a Department of Health briefing on Friday evening, 11 were women and 14 were men.
The ages of those who died ranged from 32 to 105 with an average age of 70.
There were 23 deaths in the east and two in the west. The median age of the deceased was 85.
16 of those who passed away had underlying health conditions.
Speaking this afternoon, he said we “cannot be complacent” and we “have to keep going”.
He added: “I know many of us would like to know when things will go back to normal and life will be as it was. We are working towards that time.
“And we’re planning carefully so that we get there safely.
“The truth is nobody knows for certain when that will be or how our lives will be different when it comes. All we can do for now is take one day at a time.
“Think of others and choose hope and solidarity over self-interest and fear. Your decisions will save lives. What may be an inconvenience for some will be life-saving for others.
“So I’m calling on everyone to do what is asked of them, to be tolerant and compassionate, to think about each other before we think about ourselves.
“Nothing greater will be asked to many of us.”
