Covid-19 Saturday: no new deaths, 45 new cases

THERE have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today.

There has now been a total of 1,763 Covid-related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight Friday 31st July, the HPSC has been notified of 45 confirmed cases. There is now a total of 26,109* confirmed cases in Ireland.

Of the cases notified today:

23 are men / 22 are women

77% are under 45 years of age (50% aged 25- 44 years)

9 cases are located in Limerick, 8 in Kildare, 7 in Mayo, 6 in Cavan, 4 in Dublin with the remainder spread across 5 other counties.

18 are associated with outbreaks or close contacts of a confirmed case

12 cases have been identified as community transmission

The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.

Dr Ronan Glynn, acting chief medical officer, Department of Health, said: ‘Over the last five days we have seen an average of 44 cases a day. This trend is clearly concerning and now is the time to ensure you and your families are making every effort to keep each other safe.

‘Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home. Do not organise or attend house parties.

‘Restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people (including staff) on their premises at any one time.

‘All workplaces should again review their procedures and protocols. Avoid congregated settings or environments where safety precautions are not in place. Wash your hands regularly, carry hand sanitiser and wear a face covering where appropriate. Ensure you isolate immediately if you experience any flu-like symptoms. It is our individual action that will stop the spread.’

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.

*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 confirmed case. The figure of 26,109 confirmed cases reflects this.

NPHET says everyone should be aware of the risk factors for getting Covid-19:

• Distance– the risk increases as the distance between you and others gets smaller. Keep 2m apart where possible
• Activity– How you spend time with people and what you do with them can increase your risk. Follow the government’s Stay Safe Guidelines when spending time with others
• Time– The more time you spend in close contact with other people can increase your risk. Keep track of who you spend time with and how
• Environment– Being outdoors is safer than being indoors. Where possible, meet with others outdoors. If this is not possible, keep windows and doors open when meeting others inside
• Symptoms– Know the symptoms. If you have them, self-isolate and contact your GP immediately

Public Health Advice for all citizens available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cf9b0d-new-public-health-measures-effective-now-to-prevent-further-spread-o/

Know the symptoms:

• a fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above)
• a cough- this can be any kind of cough, not just dry
• shortness of breathor breathing difficulties
• loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
• flu-like symptoms
• To watch or listen to the Southern Star Coronavirus Podcast, please search Coronavirus Podcast at the top of this page or see the Southern Star on YouTube. This week’s podcast includes a review of this week’s newspaper, music from Ardfield singer Alan Tobin, and an interview with Seven Oceans swimmer Steve Redmond, who swam to the Fastnet Rock and back recently.

• You can subscribe to the Southern Star Coronavirus podcast which is available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.