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Coronavirus: 13 Further Deaths, 1,718 New Cases

Wednesday, 30 December 2020 09:21

National news updates on Wednesday 30th December.

Latest figures:

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 13 additional deaths related to COVID-19.

There has been a total of 2,226 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight Tuesday 29th December, the HPSC has been notified of 1,718 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 90,157 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. 

Of the cases notified today;

  • 853 are men / 863 are women
  • 66% are under 45 years of age
  • The median age is 34 years old
  • 358 in Dublin, 164 in Cork, 155 in Louth, 150 in Donegal, 112 in Galway and the remaining 779 cases are spread across all other counties. 

As of 2pm today 455 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 37 are in ICU. 60 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours. 

Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; ““Ireland is no longer in a containment phase and is once again in a mitigation phase. Given the current levels of transmission in the community, every individual should consider themselves potentially infectious.

“It is essential that we all limit our contacts to our own household now, restrict our movements and do not give COVID-19 any further opportunities to spread.

“Everyone needs to stay at home other than for essential work or care. This is not the time to be visiting other houses.”

Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said; “The reproduction number remains very high and is currently estimated at 1.6 – 1.8. The growth rate is estimated to be 7-10% per day with a doubling time of 7-10 days.

“We must take action immediately to prevent an almost unimaginable scenario, where case numbers in 7 to 10 days time are twice what they are today. Stay home.”

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 29 December 2020) (incidence rate based on Census 2016 county population)

 

County

  

Today's cases (to midnight 29Dec2020)

  

14-day incidence rate per 100,000 population (16Dec2020 to 29Dec2020)

  

New Cases during last 14 days (16Dec2020 to 29Dec2020)

  

Ireland

  

1,718

  

272.7

  

12,987

  

Donegal

  

150

  

520.1

  

828

  

Monaghan

  

44

  

514.8

  

316

  

Louth

  

155

  

497.3

  

641

  

Limerick

  

83

  

406.4

  

792

  

Wexford

  

53

  

381.4

  

571

  

Kilkenny

  

57

  

310.4

  

308

  

Dublin

  

358

  

308.5

  

4,157

  

Cavan

  

66

  

298.0

  

227

  

Kerry

  

30

  

295.2

  

436

  

Sligo

  

32

  

271.6

  

178

  

Meath

  

96

  

269.2

  

525

  

Laois

  

23

  

237.3

  

201

  

Carlow

  

19

  

237.1

  

135

  

Cork

  

164

  

234.7

  

1,274

  

Mayo

  

66

  

209.2

  

273

  

Kildare

  

44

  

203.6

  

453

  

Waterford

  

26

  

185.9

  

216

  

Galway

  

112

  

183.3

  

473

  

Clare

  

40

  

180.1

  

214

  

Westmeath

  

29

  

167.8

  

149

  

Wicklow

  

20

  

141.8

  

202

  

Roscommon

  

7

  

123.9

  

80

  

Tipperary

  

23

  

115.3

  

184

  

Offaly

  

14

  

106.5

  

83

  

Longford

  

<5

  

100.3

  

41

  

Leitrim

  

<5

  

93.6

  

30

  

 

Second vaccine approved in UK:

The Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine has become the second coronavirus jab to be approved for use in the UK.

The Irish government has ordered 3.3 million doses of the vaccine once it has been approved by the EMA.

The British Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the first jabs will be rolled out from Monday.

He says it means there's light at the end of the tunnel:

Results from clinical trials show that it is up to 90 percent effective in preventing Covid 19 and unlike the Pfizer vaccine, it doesn't need to be stored at ultra-low temperatures.

GP Vinesh Patel says it's a game changer:

Criticism of Trump:

US president elect Joe Biden has criticised the outgoing Trump administration by saying the coronavirus vaccine isn't being distributed fast enough.

He's also warned people "things will get worse before they get better".

Meanwhile in Colorado, the US has identified its first case of the new, more contagious Covid-19 variant originally found in the UK.

Mr Biden says the current rate of jabs is falling behind Donald Trump's targets:

 

Fantastic news that all nursing homes will have first round of vaccination complete by end of January. 538 facilities...

Posted by Peter Burke TD on Sunday, 27 December 2020

US infected:

The new variant of the coronavirus first detected in the UK-  has now reached the US. 

Authorities in Colorado say they've discovered the strain in a man in his 20s. 

He hasn't travelled recently and no close contacts have yet been identified. 

The man remains in isolation, and contact tracing continues. 

The World Health Organization has said that while the variant may spread more easily, it isn't necessarily more dangerous or deadly.

Schools:

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation is calling on the Minister for Education to extend primary schools' Christmas holi

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