430 cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ireland on Sunday, the highest daily total in five months.
Four counties in Ireland “will be looked at very carefully” ahead of a possible move to Level 3 status in light of an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases in Ireland.
Speaking to This Week on RTÉ on Sunday, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that the situation in Cork, Galway, Louth and Wicklow will be monitored ahead of a meeting of the National Public Health and Emergency Team (NPHET) later this week.
“There are four counties which I think will be looked at very carefully, “Donnelly said.
“They are Cork, Galway, Louth and my own county of Wicklow.”
Donnelly’s comments came before 430 cases of Covid-19 were reported on Sunday evening, the highest daily total since April. It was also reported that Ireland now has 18 cases of Covid-19 in intensive care units (ICU) across the country – the highest number since June – while there are 110 cases in hospitals.
212 of cases reported on Sunday were in Dublin, as well as 54 in Cork, 23 in Donegal, 23 in Galway, 16 in Louth, 15 in Monaghan, 12 in Clare, 12 in Meath, nine in Cavan, eight in Roscommon, seven in Wicklow, six in Limerick, five in Kildare and five in Tipperary.
A further 248 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ireland on Saturday, as well as five deaths.
Dublin and Donegal are already at Level 3 Status following a spike in cases in both counties in recent weeks and while there is potential for the four counties mentioned by Donnelly to follow suit, it is not currently expected to happen before a NPHET meeting on Thursday of this week.
The incidence rate (cases per 100,000 population) for two weeks up until midnight on Friday (25 September) in those counties can be seen below.
- Cork – 52.3
- Galway – 45.7
- Louth – 94.7
- Wicklow – 68.8
By comparison, the incidence rate in Donegal and Dublin was 178.4 and 148.7 respectively.
Speaking following the reporting of 430 cases on Sunday, Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said: “As we start into this new week, I am asking every household across the country to sit together this evening and make a plan to reduce the number of people you meet this week.
“We have absolutely no room for complacency. If every person, family, workplace and organisation does not play their part the situation will continue to deteriorate.
“For people who live in Donegal and Dublin, remember Government advice is to work from home unless it is essential to attend in person. For people living in these and all other counties, assume that Covid-19 is circulating in your community and act accordingly.”
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