The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 1 patient diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland has died.
There has now been a total of 1,772 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland*.
As of midnight Friday 7th August, the HPSC has been notified of 174 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 26,644 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases notified today;
- 124 are men / 48 are women
- 69% are under 45 years of age
- 112 are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
- 5 cases have been identified as community transmission
- 110 cases are located in Kildare, 27 in Dublin, 7 in Cork, 7 in Offaly, 6 in Meath and 17 are spread across thirteen other counties (Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Mayo, Roscommon, Tipperary, Wexford and Wicklow).
The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said;
While today’s numbers of confirmed cases are high, they are not unexpected. As I said last night, we are expecting significant numbers of cases to be reported over the coming days.
Throughout this week, we have been testing all workers in facilities where outbreaks of COVID-19 have been identified as well as close contacts of those people who have received COVID positive results. Tonight’s figures are a reflection of these measures with 118 of these cases linked to the counties of Kildare, Laois and Offaly.
Our priority now and our reason for recommending the proactive measures announced last night, is to avoid these cases and clusters leading to widespread community transmission of the disease.
50 of tonight’s cases are located outside of these three counties and around the rest of the country. I once again ask everyone regardless of where you live in the country to take every precaution possible to help us control the spread of this disease and protect our most vulnerable. This means continuing to wash our hands, keeping 2 metres apart from one another, avoiding crowds, wearing face coverings where appropriate, covering our coughs and sneezes and downloading the COVID Tracker app.
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said;
As outlined by the Acting Chief Medical Officer at the press conference last night, the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population in Kildare, Laois and Offaly is worryingly high. While the national incidence stands at 16.3 per 100,000, in Kildare it stands at 130.3, in Laois it is 69.7 and in Offaly it is 89.8.
Should these cases result in widespread transmission, it could undo a lot of the good work that we have done as a country so far to control the spread of this virus. The measures introduced by NPHET last night represent a proactive and proportionate response to the current situation in these counties.
*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 death. The figure of 1,772 reflects this.
Notes to the Editor:
Everyone should be aware of the risk factors for getting COVID-19:
- Distance – the risk of getting COVID-19 increases as the distance between you and others gets smaller. Keep 2 metres apart where possible
- Activity – How you spend time with people and what you do with them can increase your risk. Follow the government’s Stay Safe Guidelines when spending time with others
- Time – The more time you spend in close contact with other people can increase your risk of getting COVID-19. Keep track of who you spend time with and how
- Environment – Being outdoors is safer than being indoors. Where possible, meet with others outdoors. If this is not possible, keep windows and doors open when meeting others inside
- Symptoms – Know the symptoms. If you have them self-isolate and contact your GP immediately
Public Health Advice for all citizens available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cf9b0d-new-public-health-measures-effective-now-to-prevent-further-spread-o/
Know the symptoms of COVID-19
They are: