Five more Covid-19 related deaths with 335 new cases, up to 25 of them in Carlow & Kilkenny
It's as Dr Tony Holohan reminds of the importance of face masks
Another five people have died with Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland and there are 335 new cases, up to 25 of them locally.
Of the latest people to have contracted coronavirus, slightly more are female than male, 64% are aged under 45 years with the median age being 37.
72 of those infected are in Dublin, 41 in Donegal, 26 in Mayo, 25 in Cork, 23 in Kerry and the remaining 148 cases are spread across 19 other counties.
Kilkenny saw a jump of 21, bringing to 832 the number of positive tests in the county to date, while Carlow had four or less added to its total, making that now just shy of 570.
284 people are currently in hospital with the virus across the country, which is eight fewer than yesterday.
40 of the patients are in intensive care.
And there have been 23 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Incidence Rate …
Carlow’s 14-day incidence rate has been dropping and the county’s figure of 187.9 per 100,000 population means it’s now tenth on the list while Kilkenny remains at sixth lowest, though its rate’s increased to 141.1.
Nationally, the rate stands at 185.6.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has commended the commitment to the spirit of the public health advice shown by people across Ireland since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and says “This includes wearing a face mask where social distancing is difficult, in shops and on public transport.”
He adds “However, it is also vital that they are worn correctly and safely. Ensure you are fully covering both your mouth and nose with the face mask. Remember, visors do not offer the same benefits as face masks. I want to particularly highlight that it is very important that those who work in settings such as retail avoid the use of visors and instead use face masks. Face masks offer far better protection, and they should be worn by everyone who can wear them. Wearing one prevents someone who does not know they have Covid-19 from spreading it to another person.
In conclusion Dr Holohan notes “They are a key element of our defence against this virus, alongside staying at home and avoiding meeting people outside your household.”
There has now been a total of 1,945 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland with 64,855 confirmed cases of the virus across the country, this includes the denotification of 18 confirmed cases.
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
