*Photograph: Sean Curtin / True Media
For the fifth day in succession, Clare has recorded a single digit daily increase of COVID-19 cases.
Of the 362 new cases announced on Wednesday, 5 are in Co Clare, the Department of Health have confirmed. 90 are in Dublin, 48 in Donegal, 34 in Limerick, 29 in Louth, 24 in Limerick and the remaining 148 cases are spread across 20 other counties. 55 percent of the cases are of individuals under the age of 45.
Clare’s fourteen day incidence rate (122.9) per 100k of the population remains in a stable condition.
Following an outbreak of the virus and the subsequent need for a “significant” amount of staff to self-isolate at both Ennis Hospital and University Hospital Limerick, all outpatient activity has been cancelled on Thursday and Friday.
An additional two deaths have been brought to the attention of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre leaving the nation’s death toll from the virus at 1,965. One of the deaths occurred in October while the other is under investigation.
Over the past 24 hours, 21 hospitalisations connected to the virus were recorded in Irish hospitals. As of 2pm today, there were 280 people being treated in hospitals for Coronavirus with 38 of this figure in ICUs.
There has been an improvement with adherence to medical advice surrounding self-isolation, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan stated and noted that it must continue.
He added, “The profile of the disease is improving and, while this is a positive trend, it does not mean it is time to take a step back from our adherence to public health guidelines. I urge everyone to redouble their efforts, try and have fewer close contacts this week than you did last week, continue to social distance and follow the other vitally important public health guidelines”.
