*Photograph: John Mangan
A further 825 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in the Republic of Ireland with latest data showing Co Clare to have the highest positivity rate for the virus over the past seven days.
On Monday evening, the Department of Health announced 825 cases of the virus. 78 percent of which occurred in individuals under the age of 45. Of the cases, 254 are in Dublin, 147 in Cork, 39 in Cavan, 38 in Donegal, 37 in Kildare with the remaining 310 cases are spread across 20 other counties. 12 of the cases announced today are in Co Clare.
Health officials have confirmed in the latest county by county breakdown which is of Saturday’s figures that 30 new cases have been reported in Co Clare.
Monaghan 839 (+25)
Offaly 818 (+7)
Mayo 732 (+21)
Laois 555 (+8)
Kerry 546 (+9)
Roscommon 542 (+3)
Wexford 541 (+22)
Kilkenny 526 (+13)
Longford 420 (+15)
Waterford 404 (+9)
Carlow 316 (+4)
Sligo 282 (+13)
Leitrim 147 (+6)#COVID__19 new cases in 26/26 counties on Saturday.— Páraic McMahon (@thepmanofficial) October 12, 2020
Speaking at Monday’s press briefing, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan highlighted that Co Clare had the highest test positivity rate in the country. The figure for the county is at 11.5 percent and is followed by Monaghan (9.7%), Cavan (9.6%), Meath (9.6%).
Increased testing had been observed at the Cusack Park drive-thru facility in the past week.
Clare has the fourth highest 14 day incidence rate per 100,000 of the population at 266 behind Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan. 316 new cases of the virus have been diagnosed in the county from September 28th to October 11th.
An additional death has been alerted to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre bringing the country’s death toll to 1,827.
As of 2pm on Monday, 224 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 32 are in ICU. 20 additional hospitalisations were recorded in the past 24 hours.
Dr Holohan confirmed that the test positivity percentage was up to 5.6 percent over the past seven days with the figure reaching 6.2 percent on Saturday and 7.2 percent on Sunday. The five day average of cases is now at 754, he told Monday’s press briefing.
He urged individuals that were still in a position to work from home to continue to do so and noted an increase in personnel returning to working from offices.
“Now is not the time for house parties, playdates or birthday parties,” Dr Holohan stated as he encouraged further guidance with the public health advice.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan Glynn reiterated his advice that face coverings are a much more protective measure for the public rather than face visors.
