Galway Bay fm newsroom - There are now 117 outbreaks of coronavirus in nursing homes across the country.
The death toll in the Republic has risen to 288 - over half of those have been nursing home residents.
The number of confirmed cases has been revised upwards to over 8 thousand, taking into account test results sent to a German lab.
While Galway now has 160 confirmed cases of Covid-19 - that's an increase of 26 new cases according to the latest figures.
The HSE has acknowledged that there have been difficulties with the testing system - with capacity is being improved.
Meanwhile, the government is urging people not to leave their homes over the Easter weekend, unless it's an essential journey.
The current restrictions have been extended for another three weeks, until the 5th of May.
Enforcement powers allowing Gardai to force people to return to their homes have also been extended.
