Kilkenny now has the second highest 14 day incidence rate for Covid19 in the country.
It’s at 171.3 per 100,000 population with only Donegal higher at 224.9, both well above the nation’s figure of 80.7 while Carlow’s also up there being the seventh highest county at 108.9.
It’s after 21 new Covid19 cases were recorded locally last evening, 13 in Kilkenny and 8 in Carlow.
St Luke’s is still top of the hospital table, treating 30 patients with the virus last night. While University Hospital Waterford had eight patients, three of whom had their diagnosis within the past day, and there are two further suspected.
Nursing Home Visits
Nursing home visits will be allowed from today, with one person per week allowed in the centre.
Should the country’s level of Covid-19 restrictions rise it would change to one person every two weeks allowed to visit a resident.
It comes as 301 new cases of the virus were detected yesterday, while around 100 tests on Saturday were delayed due to technical issues, however it is not clear when the swabs were taken.
Professor Sam McConkey from the RCSI says the Department of Health must maintain its high level of transparency and release the data on these tests.
Vaccine
Pharmacists are calling on the Government to ensure they’re included in plans to roll out Covid 19 vaccines.
The Irish Pharmacy Union’s members want to help vaccinate the population and can carry out 10,000 vaccines per day at least.
It says a safe and effective vaccine could arrive within weeks, but it will still take time to ensure a vaccination programme is rolled out.
Secretary General of the union, Darragh O’Loughlin says pharmacists can also help ease the burden on GPs.
Meanwhile, the first doses of Covid-19 vaccine will begin to be delivered to people in Northern Ireland today.
Around 12,500 people are expected to get the shot there this week.
People aged 80 and over, care home workers and some healthcare staff are first in line to get immunised.
In the US
Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for Covid19.
The 76-year-old has been investigating Mr Trump’s baseless claims of voter fraud in the recent US election.
The outgoing president’s wished him well, and told him to “get better soon”.
