Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Saturday 19 December
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 19 December 2020
- Last updated on: 21 December 2020
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 5 additional deaths related to COVID-19.
There has been a total of 2,154 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight Friday 18 December, the HPSC has been notified of 527 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 78,776* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
(*Validation of data at the HPSC led to the denotification of 5 cases. The figure of 78,776 cases reflects this.)
Of the cases notified today:
- 271 are men and 255 are women
- 65% are under 45 years of age
- the median age is 37 years old
- 191 in Dublin, 54 in Cork, 44 in Donegal, 32 in Wexford, 27 in Kilkenny, and the remaining 179 cases are spread across 20 other counties
As of 2pm today, 207 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 28 are in ICU. There have been 12 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, the Department of Health said:
"The figures we are seeing across all key indicators of disease severity continue to give us strong reason for persistent, ongoing concern. As we head into a week with uniquely risky inter-household and inter-generational mixing, please remember to act responsibly. Start this weekend. It is never too late to cut down your contacts, cancel plans, or avoid a crowd.
"Bear in mind that you may well be the link in a chain of transmission that ends with a vulnerable loved one catching this dangerous disease. Stop that chain of transmission now – limit your movements today."
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.
ENDS
Today’s cases, 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population and new cases in last 14 days (as of midnight 18 December 2020) (incidence rate based on Census 2016 county population)
| County | Today’s Cases (to midnight 18/12/20) | 14-Day incidence rate per 100,000 population (14 days to midnight 18/12/20) | New Cases during last 14 days (14 days to midnight 18/12/20) |
| Ireland | 527 | 102.4 | 4,875 |
| Donegal | 44 | 250.6 | 399 |
| Louth | 12 | 216.5 | 279 |
| Kilkenny | 27 | 202.6 | 201 |
| Carlow | 16 | 189.7 | 108 |
| Cavan | 13 | 164.1 | 125 |
| Laois | 11 | 152.3 | 129 |
| Wexford | 32 | 145.6 | 218 |
| Longford | 0 | 144.3 | 59 |
| Limerick | 17 | 123.7 | 241 |
| Monaghan | 6 | 122.2 | 75 |
| Dublin | 191 | 112.6 | 1,517 |
| Mayo | <5 | 111.1 | 145 |
| Meath | 23 | 96.9 | 189 |
| Waterford | 13 | 91.2 | 106 |
| Kerry | 20 | 90.7 | 134 |
| Kildare | 11 | 77.3 | 172 |
| Offaly | <5 | 73.1 | 57 |
| Sligo | 5 | 71.7 | 47 |
| Wicklow | 7 | 68.8 | 98 |
| Tipperary | <5 | 62.0 | 99 |
| Galway | 11 | 49.6 | 128 |
| Cork | 54 | 46.1 | 250 |
| Roscommon | <5 | 43.4 | 28 |
| Westmeath | <5 | 36.0 | 32 |
| Clare | <5 | 26.1 | 31 |
| Leitrim | <5 | 25.0 | 8 |
The 7 day incidence rate is 63.7.
The 5 day moving average is 469.
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 78,249 |
| Total number hospitalised | 5,570 |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 654 |
| Total number of deaths | 1,894 |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 12,771 |
| Number clusters notified | 10,339 |
| Cases associated with clusters | 43,329 |
| Median age | 39 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Thursday 17 December.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number of cases |
| Male | 36,933 |
| Female | 41,270 |
| Unknown | 46 |
| Total | 78,249 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Thursday 17 December.
Age range affected
| Age range | Number of cases |
| 0 - 4 | 2,101 |
| 5 - 14 | 5,279 |
| 15 - 24 | 13,553 |
| 25 - 34 | 13,158 |
| 35 - 44 | 12,279 |
| 45 - 54 | 11,783 |
| 55 - 64 | 8,347 |
| 65 - 74 | 4,457 |
| 75 - 84 | 3,897 |
| 85+ | 3,367 |
| Unknown | 28 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Thursday 17 December.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Transmission classification | % |
| Community transmission | 29.9 |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 67.6 |
| Travel abroad | 1.4 |
| Unknown | 1.1 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Thursday 17 December.
Note:
When a person tests positive for COVID-19 but 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 | 58 |
| 5 - 14 | 53 |
| 15 - 24 | 186 |
| 25 - 34 | 348 |
| 35 - 44 | 436 |
| 45 - 54 | 693 |
| 55 - 64 | 798 |
| 65 - 74 | 1,008 |
| 75 - 84 | 1,236 |
| 85+ | 752 |
| Unknown | 2 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Thursday 17 December.
Cases by county
| County | Number of cases | Change since the day before |
| Carlow | 755 | +13 |
| Cavan | 2,318 | +6 |
| Clare | 1,537 | +4 |
| Cork | 6,631 | +34 |
| Donegal | 3,448 | +13 |
| Dublin | 28,868 | +192 |
| Galway | 2,832 | +7 |
| Kerry | 1,459 | +32 |
| Kildare | 4,294 | +27 |
| Kilkenny | 1,262 | +8 |
| Laois | 1,125 | +10 |
| Leitrim | 275 | No change |
| Limerick | 3,114 | +31 |
| Longford | 723 | +2 |
| Louth | 2,485 | +47 |
| Mayo | 1,632 | +5 |
| Meath | 3,598 | +42 |
| Monaghan | 1,358 | +9 |
| Offaly | 1,240 | +1 |
| Roscommon | 987 | +1 |
| Sligo | 795 | +11 |
| Tipperary | 1,667 | +4 |
| Waterford | 1,154 | +11 |
| Westmeath | 1,577 | +3 |
| Wexford | 1,400 | +58 |
| Wicklow | 1,715 | +6 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Thursday 17 December.