Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Monday 24 August
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 24 August 2020
- Last updated on: 26 August 2020
There have been no new deaths reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today.
There has been a total of 1,777 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight Sunday 23 August, the HPSC has been notified of 147 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 28,116 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases notified today:
- 80 are men and 67 are women
- 71% are under 45 years of age
- 60 are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
- 14 cases have been identified as community transmission
- 73 are in Dublin, 17 in Kildare, 12 in Offaly, 11 in Wicklow, 9 in Limerick and the remaining 25 cases are in Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Laois, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary and Wexford
The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said:
"Evidence from the ECDC and international experience to date suggests that children do not commonly transmit COVID-19 to other children or adults in school settings.
"Internationally, where schools have been reopened, schools have not been a significant driver of community transmission.
"We all have a role to play in keeping this virus at low levels – this is key to protecting our education system over the coming weeks."
Dr. Cillian De Gascun, Director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory, said:
"We know that children can get multiple respiratory tract infections over the winter period and as a result could require repeated swab tests. Therefore, NPHET, HSE and NVRL are continuing to assess alternative testing methods for children."
Dr Siobhán Ni Bhriain, Consultant Psychiatrist and Integrated Care Lead HSE, said:
"There will be cases in school aged children just as there have been throughout the pandemic. When these occur, our public health teams will lead the response to limit further transmission- as has been the case in other settings throughout this pandemic."
Dr. Mary Favier, President of the Irish College of General Practitioners, said:
"Parents should remain vigilant around symptoms and keep their children isolated at home if they are experiencing fever, cough, shortness of breath, flu like symptoms, loss of taste or smell. Parents should also remain aware of asymptomatic transmission - like some adults, children may not present symptoms but can still carry the virus. If you have vulnerable people in your limited network, ensure physical distancing is adhered to and encourage regular hand washing habits with your child."
ENDS
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 27,969 |
| Total number hospitalised | 3,398 |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 443 |
| Total number of deaths | 1,519 |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 8,553 |
| Number clusters notified | 2,580 |
| Cases associated with clusters | 15,175 |
| Median age | 46 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Saturday 22 August.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number of cases | % of total |
| Female | 15,757 | 56.3 |
| Male | 12,185 | 43.6 |
| Unknown | 27 | 0.1 |
| Total | 27,969 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Saturday 22 August.
Age range affected
| Age range | Number of cases |
| 0 - 4 | 271 |
| 5 - 14 | 499 |
| 15 - 24 | 2,396 |
| 25 - 34 | 4,878 |
| 35 - 44 | 4,915 |
| 45 - 54 | 4,924 |
| 55 - 64 | 3,445 |
| 65 - 74 | 1,903 |
| 75 - 84 | 2,330 |
| 85+ | 2,386 |
| Unknown | 22 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Saturday 22 August.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Transmission classification | % |
| Community transmission | 30.7 |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 66.2 |
| Travel abroad | 2.4 |
| Unknown | 0.7 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Saturday 22 August.
Note:
In the event that a person tests positive for COVID-19 and hasn't been abroad or had contact with another confirmed case in Ireland, that's known as community transmission.
In the event that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 can be linked to another confirmed case in Ireland, that's known as close contact.
Hospitalised cases by age group
| Age range | Number of cases |
| 0 - 4 | 24 |
| 5 - 14 | 18 |
| 15 - 24 | 81 |
| 25 - 34 | 207 |
| 35 - 44 | 279 |
| 45 - 54 | 456 |
| 55 - 64 | 503 |
| 65 - 74 | 596 |
| 75 - 84 | 753 |
| 85+ | 480 |
| Unknown | 1 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Saturday 22 August.
Cases by county
Note: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre have advised that in the process of validating data and reviewing addresses, county totals may change due to cases being reassigned to another county. Totals can go up or down.
| County | Number of cases | % of total | Change since the day before |
| Carlow | 220 | 0.8 | No change |
| Cavan | 883 | 3.2 | No change |
| Clare | 443 | 1.6 | No change |
| Cork | 1,614 | 5.8 | +2 |
| Donegal | 512 | 1.8 | No change |
| Dublin | 13,007 | 46.5 | +39 |
| Galway | 509 | 1.8 | No change |
| Kerry | 326 | 1.2 | +1 |
| Kildare | 2,174 | 7.8 | +13 |
| Kilkenny | 394 | 1.4 | No change |
| Laois | 373 | 1.3 | +3 |
| Leitrim | 85 | 0.3 | No change |
| Limerick | 697 | 2.5 | +1 |
| Longford | 292 | 1 | +1 |
| Louth | 816 | 2.9 | No change |
| Mayo | 587 | 2.1 | No change |
| Meath | 878 | 3.1 | No change |
| Monaghan | 552 | 2 | No change |
| Offaly | 607 | 2.2 | No change |
| Roscommon | 353 | 1.3 | No change |
| Sligo | 156 | 0.6 | No change |
| Tipperary | 637 | 2.3 | No change |
| Waterford | 181 | 0.7 | No change |
| Westmeath | 684 | 2.5 | No change |
| Wexford | 265 | 1 | No change |
| Wicklow | 724 | 2.6 | +1 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Saturday 22 August.