The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan warned Government last week that there could be at least 1,000 Covid-19 related deaths in January.
In a letter to the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, dated 14 January, Dr Holohan said modelling by the National Public Health Emergency Team showed that there could be at least 25-30 deaths a day related to community outbreaks.
He said that given the large number of outbreaks of the virus in long term residential care facilities and hospitals that there would be a "large scale mortality" in these settings also.
Up to yesterday, there was a total of 485 Covid-19 related deaths. Tuesday 19 January saw a record number of deaths recorded at 93.