Coronavirus Ireland: 89 new cases and one death as acting CMO asks public to reduce social circle
Yesterday saw the biggest daily increase in new cases since May
Frances WatkinsReporter
Updated 19:06, 2 SEP 2020
A further 89 people have been diagnosed with the Coronavirus in Ireland.
This brings the total amount of cases diagnosed here since the beginning of the outbreak to 29,114.
Sadly another person has passed away after contracting the virus although it has been confirmed that this death occurred in June.
Yesterday saw 217 new cases of the virus confirmed in what was the biggest daily increase in infections since May.
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
Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, and Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group (Image: (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin))
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.
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."
LIVE: Covid-19 case updates as government announces new road map to begin next month
Gardai appeal for help in finding missing teenage boy in Cork
"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."
Funeral congregation told of 'good nature' of man who passed away in unexplained circumstances in Killarney
When will Ireland's wet pubs open - new phase starts on September 13th as Gardai get powers to close pubs for a month
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."