Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Wednesday 16 December
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 16 December 2020
- Last updated on: 17 December 2020
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 6 additional deaths related to COVID-19.
There has been a total of 2,140 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight Tuesday 15 December, the HPSC has been notified of 431 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 77,197 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases notified today:
- 185 are men and 244 are women
- 67% are under 45 years of age
- the median age is 35 years old
- 134 in Dublin, 53 in Donegal, 25 in Cavan, 24 in Louth, 22 in Mayo, and the remaining 173 cases are spread across all other remaining counties
As of 2pm today, 207 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 30 are in ICU. There have been 22 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said:
"We are seeing significant and concerning indicators that this disease in moving in the wrong direction, including an increase in positivity rates, and 7 day and 14 day incidence, and our 5 day average has now increased to 339 cases. Recent international experience has demonstrated just how quickly this disease can get out of control.
"These trends are all the more troubling because of the delicate and precarious situation we are in - as a country, we are heading into a period of potential widespread inter-household and inter-generational mixing. This is an ideal opportunity for the virus to spread and impact on those most vulnerable to its severest effects. Don’t give COVID-19 this chance: limit your contacts, prioritise who you meet, and let’s remain vigilant so we can get through this together. NPHET will meet tomorrow to review the epidemiological situation."
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 15 December 2020) (incidence rate based on Census 2016 county population)
| County | Today’s Cases (to midnight 15/12/20) | 14-Day incidence rate per 100,000 population (14 days to midnight 15/12/20) | New Cases during last 14 days (14 days to midnight 15/12/20) |
| Ireland | 431 | 87.9 | 4,185 |
| Donegal | 53 | 245.6 | 391 |
| Louth | 24 | 201.7 | 260 |
| Kilkenny | 15 | 197.5 | 196 |
| Carlow | <5 | 156.3 | 89 |
| Cavan | 25 | 147 | 112 |
| Longford | <5 | 137 | 56 |
| Monaghan | 7 | 136.8 | 84 |
| Limerick | 13 | 122.6 | 239 |
| Laois | 13 | 113.3 | 96 |
| Mayo | 22 | 105 | 137 |
| Dublin | 134 | 97.7 | 1,316 |
| Wicklow | <5 | 82.1 | 117 |
| Waterford | <5 | 79.2 | 92 |
| Offaly | 8 | 78.2 | 61 |
| Kildare | 17 | 67.9 | 151 |
| Tipperary | <5 | 67.7 | 108 |
| Meath | 12 | 65.6 | 128 |
| Wexford | 15 | 56.8 | 85 |
| Sligo | <5 | 50.4 | 33 |
| Galway | 9 | 50 | 129 |
| Kerry | 17 | 42 | 62 |
| Roscommon | <5 | 38.7 | 25 |
| Westmeath | <5 | 34.9 | 31 |
| Leitrim | <5 | 28.1 | 9 |
| Cork | 18 | 27.6 | 150 |
| Clare | <5 | 23.6 | 28 |
Note:
The 5 day moving average of cases is 339.
The 7 day incidence rate is 48.7 per 100,000 of population.
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 76,766 |
| Total number hospitalised | 5,489 |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 649 |
| Total number of deaths | 1,880 |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 12,590 |
| Number clusters notified | 10,207 |
| Cases associated with clusters | 42,692 |
| Median age | 39 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 14 December.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number of cases |
| Male | 36,202 |
| Female | 40,527 |
| Unknown | 37 |
| Total | 76,766 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 14 December.
Age range affected
| Age range | Number of cases |
| 0 - 4 | 2,046 |
| 5 - 14 | 5,138 |
| 15 - 24 | 13,347 |
| 25 - 34 | 12,878 |
| 35 - 44 | 12,048 |
| 45 - 54 | 11,566 |
| 55 - 64 | 8,159 |
| 65 - 74 | 4,381 |
| 75 - 84 | 3,840 |
| 85+ | 3,335 |
| Unknown | 28 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 14 December.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Transmission classification | % |
| Community transmission | 29.9 |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 67.7 |
| Travel abroad | 1.4 |
| Unknown | 1 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 14 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 | 52 |
| 15 - 24 | 182 |
| 25 - 34 | 343 |
| 35 - 44 | 430 |
| 45 - 54 | 685 |
| 55 - 64 | 788 |
| 65 - 74 | 996 |
| 75 - 84 | 1,213 |
| 85+ | 740 |
| Unknown | 2 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 14 December.
Cases by county
| County | Number of cases | Change since the day before |
| Carlow | 735 | +6 |
| Cavan | 2,279 | +11 |
| Clare | 1,530 | +1 |
| Cork | 6,538 | +9 |
| Donegal | 3,353 | +33 |
| Dublin | 28,394 | +75 |
| Galway | 2,808 | +4 |
| Kerry | 1,387 | +8 |
| Kildare | 4,244 | +17 |
| Kilkenny | 1,235 | +12 |
| Laois | 1,078 | +5 |
| Leitrim | 273 | No change |
| Limerick | 3,044 | +23 |
| Longford | 710 | +1 |
| Louth | 2,400 | +41 |
| Mayo | 1,595 | +9 |
| Meath | 3,527 | +10 |
| Monaghan | 1,332 | +12 |
| Offaly | 1,222 | +6 |
| Roscommon | 976 | +2 |
| Sligo | 778 | +2 |
| Tipperary | 1,648 | +4 |
| Waterford | 1,134 | +5 |
| Westmeath | 1,572 | +8 |
| Wexford | 1,279 | +12 |
| Wicklow | 1,695 | +3 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 14 December.