COVID19 update

4 January 2021
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie

Today’s evening Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 6 additional deaths related to COVID-19.

There has been a total of 2,265 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland since the pandemic began in early 2020.

As of midnight, Sunday 3rd January, the HPSC has been notified of 6,110 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 107,997 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Of the cases notified today:

• 2,911 are men / 3,195 are women
• 63% are under 45 years of age
• The median age is 36 years old
• 3,655 in Dublin, 323 in Kildare, 291 in Cork, 234 in Limerick, 137 in Louth and the remaining 1,470 cases are spread across all other counties.

As of 2pm today, 776 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 70 are in ICU. 92 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “Leaders and organisations in communities across the country now need to support their colleagues, neighbours, family and friends to keep to the spirit of public health advice. We must restrict our movements, we have to limit the people we interact with outside of our households, if we are to suppress the virus and sustain our essential services.”

Dr. Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “People particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 include older persons and people with pre-existing medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer. The incidence of disease in the community is now at a level where vulnerable people need to stay at home unless absolutely essential.”

Dr Ronan Glynn

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said: “Scenario models raise the possibility of 1,500-2,000 people in hospital, and 200-400 people in ICU by mid-January, if we do not act to radically reduce transmission and incidence. It will take all of us, adopting the public health measures of staying home and reducing contacts, to suppress current levels of disease.”

Mr. Liam Woods, HSE National Director, Acute Operations, said; “We are introducing curtailments in non-essential services in adult hospitals in order to cope with increasing COVID-19 admissions. This will be subject to ongoing review. In the event of emergency attend an Emergency Department as usual and if you have any concerns regarding your health, COVID or non COVID related, always contact your GP in the first instance.”

Professor Karina Butler, Chair of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, said; “The vaccination programme has commenced for the first priority groups. The roll out has been accelerated this week. As we continue to provide vaccines across the population we urge anyone with concerns or questions to contact their GP, pharmacist or healthcare service provider for factual and reliable information. The HSE.ie website also provides reliable information around vaccine efficacy and safety.”

The COVID-19 Dashboard provides up-to-date information on the key indicators of COVID-19 in the community.

Today’s cases, 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population and new cases in last 14 days (as of midnight 03 January 2021) (incidence rate based on Census 2016 county population)