The Department of Health has confirmed a further 28 people who were diagnosed with Covid-19 have died in Ireland bringing the overall death toll to 263.

500 more cases of the coronavirus have also been diagnosed in the Republic, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 6,574.

Of the 263 people with the virus to die in this country, 72% (187 cases) died in a hospital environment.

30 people died in intensive care units, accounting for 11% of cases.

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said this evening that 81% of people who died so far had underlying conditions.

The median age among those who have died is 81, and cases are split approximately 60% male and 40% female.

Of the 6,444 confirmed cases up to Tuesday 7 April, 24% were hospitalised (1,521) and less than 4% (230) were admitted to ICU.

There are now 125 confirmed cases in Donegal

Four more people have died in Northern Ireland from Covid-19.

It brings the total deaths there to 82.

The Public Health Agency said today that 138 new cases of the disease have been identified- bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,477.

A total of 10,203 people have been tested so far.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is preparing to launch an appeal soon for more than $1billion to fund operations against the Covid-19 pandemic through year-end, diplomats told Reuters today.

The UN agency needs more resources than ever as it leads the global response against the disease that has infected 1.4 million people and killed 85,000, diplomats and experts say.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a speech to diplomats on Thursday issued by the WHO, said it would release its latest plan "in the coming days". It follows the WHO's first three-month appeal for $675 million through April.

"It will be well over $1 billion, maybe several billion," a Western envoy said.

It comes as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington was re-evaluating US funding to the body, saying international organisations utilising US taxpayer money needed to deliver on their goals.

The government has suspended flexitime for civil and public servants as it attempts to mobilise its 340,000 employees to address the most pressing demands generated by the Covid-19 virus.

The flexitime system allows staff to complete their full working hours while varying their arrival, departure and break times, often to accommodate caring responsibilities.

However, in today's updated guidelines on public service working arrangements during the Covid-19 emergency, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform states: "The operation of traditional flexi-time/attendance management rules do not support the flexible arrangements and agility required during this extraordinary situation."

DPER goes on to state: "The normal operation of flexi-time or equivalent attendance management rules, including any flexi-time accruals and deficits, is to be temporarily suspended during the period of Covid-19 to facilitate the required new ways of working across the public service"