Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Sunday 27 December
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 27 December 2020
- Last updated on: 29 December 2020
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 4 additional deaths related to COVID-19.
There has been a total of 2,204 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.
As of midnight Saturday 26 December, the HPSC has been notified of 744 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 86,129* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
(*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 9 confirmed cases. The figure of 86,129 confirmed cases reflects this.)
Of the cases notified today:
- 388 are men and 354 are women
- 64% are under 45 years of age
- the median age is 34 years old
- 246 in Dublin, 131 in Cork, 51 in Limerick, 40 in Wexford, 33 in Donegal and the remaining 243 cases are spread across 19 other counties
As of 8am today, 324 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 26 are in ICU. There have been 50 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said:
"We have seen a significant increase in the number of hospitalisations in the last two weeks from less than 190 to 324 today. This indicates a deteriorating disease trajectory nationally and is a significant reminder of the severity of this disease.
"There have been further increases across key indicators of COVID-19 right across the country and the growth rate of the epidemic has accelerated in recent days.
"Due to the lower volume of tests being carried out over Christmas Day and yesterday, we believe there are higher levels of disease circulating in the community than today’s reported case numbers reflect. We expect, therefore, to see a large increase in cases reported over the coming days.
"If we do not act now to stop the spread of COVID-19, we will not be able to protect those in our society that are most at risk of serious illness or death.
"Stay home, do not visit friends or family unless you are providing essential care and do not have visitors to your home. Follow the public health advice."
ENDS
Today’s cases, 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population and new cases in last 14 days (as of midnight 26 December 2020) (incidence rate based on Census 2016 county population)
| County | Today’s Cases (to midnight 26/12/20) | 14-Day incidence rate per 100,000 population (14 days to midnight 26/12/20) | New Cases during last 14 days (14 days to midnight 26/12/20) |
| Ireland | 744 | 209.6 | 9,979 |
| Donegal | 33 | 425.9 | 678 |
| Wexford | 40 | 348.6 | 522 |
| Limerick | 51 | 334.5 | 652 |
| Louth | 9 | 305.7 | 394 |
| Monaghan | 0 | 288.3 | 177 |
| Kilkenny | 17 | 268.1 | 266 |
| Kerry | 19 | 249.1 | 368 |
| Dublin | 246 | 249.1 | 3,356 |
| Carlow | <5 | 224.8 | 128 |
| Sligo | 12 | 192.3 | 126 |
| Laois | <5 | 190.1 | 161 |
| Meath | 8 | 176.4 | 344 |
| Kildare | 24 | 168.5 | 375 |
| Cork | 131 | 162.5 | 882 |
| Waterford | 17 | 160.1 | 186 |
| Mayo | 18 | 129.5 | 169 |
| Galway | 21 | 123.2 | 318 |
| Clare | 17 | 115.3 | 137 |
| Westmeath | 17 | 113.8 | 101 |
| Wicklow | 22 | 112.3 | 160 |
| Tipperary | 19 | 94 | 150 |
| Roscommon | 5 | 88.3 | 57 |
| Longford | 0 | 88.1 | 36 |
| Offaly | <5 | 83.4 | 65 |
| Leitrim | <5 | 68.7 | 22 |
The 7 day incidence is 139.
The 5-day moving average is 983.
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 85,385 |
| Total number hospitalised | 5,840 |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 664 |
| Total number of deaths | 1,944 |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 13,273 |
| Number clusters notified | 10,599 |
| Cases associated with clusters | 44,498 |
| Median age | 38 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Friday 25 December.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number of cases |
| Male | 40,445 |
| Female | 44,864 |
| Unknown | 76 |
| Total | 85,385 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Friday 25 December.
Age range affected
| Age range | Number of cases |
| 0 - 4 | 2,378 |
| 5 - 14 | 5,886 |
| 15 - 24 | 14,891 |
| 25 - 34 | 14,453 |
| 35 - 44 | 13,444 |
| 45 - 54 | 12,782 |
| 55 - 64 | 9,123 |
| 65 - 74 | 4,807 |
| 75 - 84 | 4,099 |
| 85+ | 3,492 |
| Unknown | 30 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Friday 25 December.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Transmission classification | % |
| Community transmission | 31 |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 65.3 |
| Travel abroad | 1.3 |
| Unknown | 2.4 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Friday 25 December.
Note:
When a person tests positive for COVID-19 but hasn't been abroad or had a known 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 | 59 |
| 5 - 14 | 60 |
| 15 - 24 | 213 |
| 25 - 34 | 367 |
| 35 - 44 | 463 |
| 45 - 54 | 724 |
| 55 - 64 | 840 |
| 65 - 74 | 1,040 |
| 75 - 84 | 1,282 |
| 85+ | 790 |
| Unknown | 2 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Friday 25 December.
Cases by county
| County | Number of cases |
| Carlow | 845 |
| Cavan | 2,404 |
| Clare | 1,649 |
| Cork | 7,271 |
| Donegal | 3,940 |
| Dublin | 31,341 |
| Galway | 3,096 |
| Kerry | 1,709 |
| Kildare | 4,562 |
| Kilkenny | 1,462 |
| Laois | 1,225 |
| Leitrim | 292 |
| Limerick | 3,602 |
| Longford | 742 |
| Louth | 2,735 |
| Mayo | 1,728 |
| Meath | 3,846 |
| Monaghan | 1,497 |
| Offaly | 1,275 |
| Roscommon | 1,026 |
| Sligo | 889 |
| Tipperary | 1,770 |
| Waterford | 1,284 |
| Westmeath | 1,635 |
| Wexford | 1,736 |
| Wicklow | 1,824 |
- All statistics measured at midnight on Friday 25 December.