Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team - Thursday 28 May

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that a total of 9 people with COVID-19 have died.

There have now been a total 1,639* COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight Wednesday 27 May the HPSC has been notified of 46 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 24,841 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

The HSE is 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 the HPSC, as of midnight, Tuesday 26 May (24,795 cases), reveals:

• 57% are female and 43% are male
• the median age of confirmed cases is 48 years
• 3,267 cases (13%) have been hospitalised
• of those hospitalised, 404 cases have been admitted to ICU
• 7,920 cases are associated with healthcare workers
• Dublin has the highest number of cases at 11,996 (48% of all cases) followed by Cork with 1,458 cases (6%) and then Kildare with 1,414 cases (6%)
• of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 40%, close contact accounts for 58%, travel abroad accounts for 2%

The National Public Health Emergency Team met today (Thursday 28 May) to continue its review of Ireland’s ongoing response and preparedness to COVID-19.

Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “Throughout this pandemic NPHET has maintained a consistent focus on mortality, being very aware of the sad toll of lost loved ones on families.

“A mortality paper was prepared and discussed by NPHET today and identifies that mortality in Ireland has been within the lower range in overall terms compared with other health systems across Europe.

"Ireland will continue to report both confirmed and probable deaths from COVID-19 in all settings and direct public health measures to limit the burden of mortality."

Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “Today, NPHET agreed in principle to include in the case definition the sudden loss of smell (anosmia) and loss of taste (ageusia). This is subject to updated guidance from the ECDC, which is expected to be published tomorrow.”

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said: “The reproduction number is currently estimated to be 0.5. ICU and hospital admissions and number of deaths per day continue to decline. The number of cases per day remain stable.

“Next week we will see figures that reflect the impact of Phase 1 measures on key disease spread indictors. It is our hope that the r-number will remain below one and our progress is preserved.”

ENDS

• Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 1 death. The figure of 1,639 deaths reflects this.

• All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 26 May.

• All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 26 May.

• All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 26 May.

• All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 26 May.

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.

• All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 26 May.

Note: The Health Protection Surveillance Centre have advised that in the process of validating data and reviewing addresses, cases may be reassigned to another county.

• All statistics measured at midnight on Tuesday 26 May.