Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Saturday 21 March
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 21 March 2020
- Last updated on: 21 March 2020
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has been informed of 102 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
There are now 785 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
The HSE is now working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
Today’s data from HPSC, as of midnight, Thursday 19 March (584 cases), reveals:
- of the 584 cases notified, 55% are male and 44% are female, with 29 clusters involving 157 cases
- the median age of confirmed cases is 44 years
- 30% of cases have been hospitalised
- 13 cases admitted to ICU - representing 2% of all cases hospitalised
- 147 cases - 25% of cases are associated with healthcare workers
- Dublin has the highest number of cases at 55%, followed by Cork 15%
Of those for whom transmission status is known:
- community transmission accounts for 42%
- close contact accounts for 23%
- travel abroad accounts for 35%
The Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 was signed into law by the President of Ireland on Friday, 20 March. This Act empowers the Minister for Health to prohibit and restrict the holding of certain events, and to close certain premises, for example public houses.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said:
"The department is aware that pubs in some areas of the country are continuing to open, in contravention of existing public health advice.
"If any such premises become known to us, the Minister will be advised to use his regulatory powers to enforce the temporary closure of premises in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"We are also asking An Garda Siochana to assist in encouraging the public to abide by the public health advice on social distancing by encouraging any groups congregating in public to disperse."
Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said:
"We must continue in our efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 together, as a society, to protect our healthcare workers and our most vulnerable."
ENDS
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 584 | |
| Total number hospitalised | 173 | |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 13 | |
| Total number of deaths | 3 | |
| Case fatality rate | 0.5 | |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 147 | |
| Number clusters notified | 29 | |
| Median age | 44 |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number | % of Total |
| Female | 257 | 44 |
| Male | 320 | 55 |
| Unknown | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 584 |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
Age range affected
| Age Group | Number | % of Total | Age specific incidence |
| <1 | 2 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 1 - 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.3 |
| 5 - 14 | 10 | 2 | 1.8 |
| 15 - 24 | 56 | 10 | 9.6 |
| 25 - 34 | 110 | 19 | 18.8 |
| 35 - 44 | 121 | 21 | 20.7 |
| 45 - 54 | 95 | 16 | 16.3 |
| 55 - 64 | 85 | 15 | 14.6 |
| 65+ | 102 | 17 | 17.5 |
| Unknown | 1 | 0 | 0.2 |
| Total | 584 |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Community transmission | 179 |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 97 |
| Travel Abroad | 148 |
| Under investigation | 160 |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
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 local transmission.
Healthcare workers
| Travel related | 44 | 30% |
| No foreign travel | 96 | 65% |
| Under investigation | 7 | 5% |
| Total | 147 |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
Hospitalised cases by age group
| <5 | 2 | 1% |
| 5 - 14 | 1 | 1% |
| 15 - 24 | 9 | 5% |
| 25 - 34 | 24 | 14% |
| 35 - 44 | 18 | 10% |
| 45 - 54 | 28 | 16% |
| 55 - 64 | 31 | 18% |
| 65+ | 60 | 35% |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
Cases by county
| Carlow | ≤5 | 0% |
| Cavan | ≤5 | 0% |
| Clare | 7 | 1% |
| Cork | 88 | 15% |
| Donegal | ≤5 | 1% |
| Dublin | 320 | 55% |
| Galway | 21 | 4% |
| Kerry | 8 | 1% |
| Kildare | 18 | 3% |
| Kilkenny | 11 | 2% |
| Laois | ≤5 | 1% |
| Leitrim | ≤5 | 0% |
| Limerick | 15 | 3% |
| Longford | ≤5 | 1% |
| Louth | 9 | 2% |
| Mayo | ≤5 | 0% |
| Meath | 10 | 2% |
| Offaly | 7 | 1% |
| Roscommon | ≤5 | 0% |
| Sligo | ≤5 | 1% |
| Tipperary | ≤5 | 1% |
| Waterford | 8 | 1% |
| Westmeath | 14 | 2% |
| Wexford | ≤5 | 0% |
| Wicklow | 17 | 3% |
- All statistics measured at midnight, 19 March 2020.
≤ means 'less than or equal to'.