*Photograph: John Mangan
Six new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Clare among 646 nationally.
Clare’s 14 day incidence rate of 93.4 and is the eighth lowest in the country. There are new six cases in the county meaning 116 persons have been diagnosed in the past fortnight.
Across the country, 646 additional cases are known. 243 are in Dublin, 80 in Kildare, 45 in Meath, 35 in Galway, 34 in Offaly and the remaining 209 cases are spread across 20 other counties.
Notification of ten more deaths has been alerted to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). 4 deaths occurred in March, 1 in February, 1 in January and 4 are under investigation. The median age of those who died was 67 years and the age range was 41 – 83 years. There has been a total of 4,518* COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
Critical care numbers have dropped to 87 while 344 persons remain in hospital because of COVID-19. 16 additional hospitalisations occurred in the past 24 hours.
As of Tuesday, 553,161 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ireland.
Meanwhile, a Clare TD has criticised comments from NPHET representatives. Professor Philip Nolan cautioned on Thursday that a “slippage” in the public’s behaviour had been observed as he expressed worry of the potential of rising case numbers with more students to return to primary and secondary schools.
Deputy Michael McNamara (IND) criticised the approach and said NPHET’s modelling was “well wide of the mark yet again”. He stated, “NPHET must stop usurping the role of a democratic government unless it wishes to undermine its legitimacy and instead, concentrate on its role as government advisers. Stop the grand pronouncements like “we will decide what people who have vaccinated can and cannot do’’. That’s the role of the Executive and Legislature, subject to the Constitution, in a democracy.
“It is for NPHET to advise Government on the options available to this State on the pertaining situation rather than what NPHET would like it to be and for the Government to choose between the options advised. That has to include options other that an endless continuation of lockdown, which unlike other European states, seems to have been its only strategy for a year now,” the Scariff native added.
