THERE has been one new death 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 Tuesday 1st September, the HPSC has been notified of 89 confirmed cases of Covid-19. There is now a total of 29,114 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Of the cases notified today:
- 40 are men / 48 are women
- 63% are under 45 years of age
- 56% are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case
- 8 cases have been identified as community transmission
- 53 in Dublin, 15 in Limerick, and the remaining 21 cases are Clare, Cork, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford 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: ‘Every single contribution and effort you make counts to the national push to curb the effects of this infectious virus on our society. Every time you take responsibility to keep your social contacts low, avoid a crowded place or get-together, know that you are making a vital difference. It is individual action built upon individual action that will get us through this pandemic.’
‘The effort to suppress Covid-19 begins in our own homes. Many confirmed cases in the past weeks and months have been close contacts of confirmed cases. It is in our own household through regular handwashing, cough and sneeze hygiene, cleaning surfaces, limiting the number of visitors and isolating as soon as we experience any concerning symptoms that we can make the biggest impact.’
Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said: ‘A close analysis of case numbers and patterns over the last week suggests that the epidemic is growing very slowly in many counties across Ireland, including Dublin. A large number of cases are associated with outbreaks in private houses and families. The R number is just above 1, perhaps as high as 1.2, so the virus is circulating in the community at levels we don’t want to see. This means we need to remain focused on our shared national priorities, which are the safe reopening of schools, continuing to resume non-COVID healthcare and protecting the most vulnerable to this dangerous disease.’
Dr Colm Henry, chief clinical officer, HSE, said: ‘The opening of schools is an important milestone in our management of this pandemic. Evolving knowledge from elsewhere provides some assurance to parents of children who are returning to school regarding the behaviour of this virus among children and the risks of transmission between children. We appreciate the hard work of teachers, parents, guardians, principals and school staff in getting us to this much anticipated milestone.
‘What we can do to help this effort is play our own part as individuals – physically distance from others at all times, avoid congregated settings, and wear a face covering where appropriate.’
‘The ongoing resumption of healthcare services is also down to our individual actions in the community. To protect our healthcare staff and patients, we need everyone to keep their social contacts low and remember to physically distance when meeting those from other households. We all need to make these safe behaviours a part of our daily routines.’
- To watch or listen to the Southern Star Coronavirus Podcast, please search Coronavirus Podcast at the top of this page or see the Southern Star on YouTube. This week’s podcast features an interview with Paul Murphy, independent councillor, who talks about his decision to give up drink for a year – the same year as he failed to win a seat in Dáil Éireann, failed in his Seanad nomination bid, lost his job due to Covid, and volunteered in a funeral home! But he doesn’t regret a thing, he tells reporter Emma Connolly. And we also have a review of this week’s Southern Star, and the latest single from talented local singer songwriter Fintan McKahey.
- You can subscribe to the Southern Star Coronavirus podcast which is available on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts.
