Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Thursday 20 August
-
From: Department of Health
- Published on: 20 August 2020
- Last updated on: 24 August 2020
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 1 person with COVID-19 has died.
There has now been a total of 1,776 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight Wednesday 19 August, the HPSC has been notified of 136 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 27,676* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. (*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 7 confirmed cases. The figure of 27,676 confirmed cases reflects this.)
Of the cases notified today:
- 54 are men and 81 are women
- 78% are under 45 years of age
- 57 are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
- 11 cases have been identified as community transmission
- 51 are in Dublin, 24 in Kildare, 12 in Kilkenny, 11 in Tipperary, 7 in Cork, 6 in Limerick, 6 in Wexford, 5 in Meath and the remaining 14 cases are in Carlow, Cavan, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Offaly, Roscommon, Waterford and Wicklow
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:
"The core message from NPHET this week is to limit your social networks. Stick to a limit of 6 people from no more than 3 households indoors, and 15 people outdoors. Risk assess your environment and do not stay if it doesn’t feel safe. Remember that the virus wants large groups to gather together in order to spread. Do not give it the opportunity. We can continue to suppress this disease in Ireland by working together and staying apart."
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said:
"The R-number is now at or above 1.2. There are two concerns now, the number of new cases per day remains high and the pattern has changed from large outbreaks in specific settings to much smaller outbreaks widely distributed across the country. The measures announced this week, asking us to stay apart, aim to suppress COVID-19 in the community."
Dr Siobhán Ni Bhriain, Consultant Psychiatrist and Integrated Care Lead HSE, said:
"Playing our part includes presenting for testing when required. This includes one initial test and a follow up test within seven days. By fulfilling this testing cycle you reduce the threat of asymptomatic transmission and help to control the spread of the disease."
Today, the HSE has published results of the Study to Investigate COVID-19 Infection in People Living in Ireland (SCOPI): A national seroprevalence study, June-July 2020. This study, the first of its type in Ireland, measured antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 virus, which are an indication of past infection with COVID-19. The study reports a prevalence of infection of 0.6% in Sligo and 3.1% in Dublin. Based on these results, the HPSC estimates a national prevalence rate of 1.7%.
Dr Derval Igoe, Principal Investigator for SCOPI at the HPSC said:
"It is not surprising that a relatively low national seroprevalence of 1.7% was observed here. Other countries in Europe, such as Spain and Italy, where there has been a much more intense epidemic, have reported national seroprevalence estimates of 5% and 2.5% respectively. This means that the vast majority of people living in Ireland had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus by the time of the study. As a society, we need to continue with our public health measures, including physical distancing, respiratory etiquette, hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, until a vaccine for COVID-19 is available."
ENDS
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 27,540 |
| Total number hospitalised | 3,394 |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 443 |
| Total number of deaths | 1,518 |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 8,527 |
| Number clusters notified | 2,568 |
| Cases associated with clusters | 15,113 |
| Median age | 47 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 18 August.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number of cases | % of total |
| Female | 15,533 | 56.4 |
| Male | 11,979 | 43.5 |
| Unknown | 28 | 0.1 |
| Total | 27,540 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 18 August.
Age range affected
| Age range | Number of cases |
| 0 - 4 | 253 |
| 5 - 14 | 468 |
| 15 - 24 | 2,292 |
| 25 - 34 | 4,782 |
| 35 - 44 | 4,850 |
| 45 - 54 | 4,875 |
| 55 - 64 | 3,401 |
| 65 - 74 | 1,891 |
| 75 - 84 | 2,323 |
| 85+ | 2,384 |
| Unknown | 21 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 18 August.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Transmission classification | % |
| Community transmission | 30.3 |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 66.9 |
| Travel abroad | 2.4 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 18 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 | 80 |
| 25 - 34 | 205 |
| 35 - 44 | 279 |
| 45 - 54 | 456 |
| 55 - 64 | 504 |
| 65 - 74 | 595 |
| 75 - 84 | 753 |
| 85+ | 479 |
| Unknown | 1 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 18 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 | 210 | 0.8 | +2 |
| Cavan | 882 | 3.2 | No change |
| Clare | 441 | 1.6 | +2 |
| Cork | 1,598 | 5.8 | No change |
| Donegal | 508 | 1.8 | +3 |
| Dublin | 12,824 | 46.6 | +15 |
| Galway | 508 | 1.8 | No change |
| Kerry | 323 | 1.2 | +1 |
| Kildare | 2,088 | 7.6 | +4 |
| Kilkenny | 379 | 1.4 | +3 |
| Laois | 364 | 1.3 | +1 |
| Leitrim | 85 | 0.3 | No change |
| Limerick | 676 | 2.5 | +1 |
| Longford | 291 | 1.1 | +1 |
| Louth | 814 | 3 | +3 |
| Mayo | 585 | 2.1 | No change |
| Meath | 870 | 3.2 | +1 |
| Monaghan | 550 | 2 | No change |
| Offaly | 603 | 2.2 | +1 |
| Roscommon | 349 | 1.3 | No change |
| Sligo | 156 | 0.6 | No change |
| Tipperary | 609 | 2.2 | +6 |
| Waterford | 172 | 0.6 | +1 |
| Westmeath | 683 | 2.5 | No change |
| Wexford | 253 | 0.9 | +2 |
| Wicklow | 719 | 2.6 | No change |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 18 August.