Covid-19 cases are spiking across the country this week just days before Christmas, prompting the Chief Medical Officer to advise the wearing of masks in certain settings.
Earlier this year and during 2020 and 2021, Covid-19 case numbers made daily news bulletins but as the need for daily public health briefings diminished, the public awareness of Covid-19 cases in their counties also reduced.
The Chief Medical Officer has been out this week warning that we are "back in the eye of a respiratory virus storm" with viruses like Covid-19 and others causing havoc for individuals and hospitals.
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Professor Breda Smyth revealed that Covid cases have increased 75% and hospital admissions are up almost 90% as we approach the Christmas season of increased socialising.
We have delved into the Department of Health's Covid-19 data hub to crunch the numbers to reveal the number of cases occurring this week in your county.
Unsurprisingly Dublin has seen the most positive cases this week with 155 positive PCR tests recorded on Monday alone and 1,521 in the past two weeks.
52 cases were recorded in Waterford on Monday with 220 positive PCR cases in the last two weeks. Galway was next highest with 40 cases on Monday and 110 over the last two weeks. Tipperary and Wexford both recorded 27 positive PCR cases on Monday.
In terms of the 14-day incidence rate of the virus, which tracks the infection trends and levels per population size, Kilkenny has recorded the highest rate since the beginning of December. Kilkenny's 14-day rate stands at 190.5 cases per 100,000 of population.
Waterford has the next highest rate at 189.4 and the southeast in general is the worst-affected area for positive PCR tests. Tipperary's rate of 153.6 cases per 100,000 is third-highest in the country while Carlow's rate of 140.5 is fifth highest. The fourth highest is Kildare with a rate of 144.7 cases per 100,000 over the last two weeks.
The fewest cases are being recorded in border areas with Louth, Leitrim and Monaghan all recording cases in the single digits on Monday and low 14-day incidence rates.
The lowest incidence rate in the country at present is in Longford where there were just 61.2 cases per 100,000 people in the last two weeks.
As well as PCR tests, thousands of positive of antigen tests are been recorded in Ireland every day. The HSE was notified of 1,451 positive antigen tests nationwide on Tuesday, a huge jump from the 816 recorded on December 7.
As of today, there are 655 people in hospital with Covid-19, which is almost double the 351 patients that were Covid positive in hospitals on December 9.
You can see a full breakdown of the number of cases recorded in each county on Monday of this week and the incidence rate in the county over the last 14 days below:
CARLOW
13 positive PCR cases on Monday (140.5 cases per 100,000 population)
CAVAN
19 positive PCR cases on Monday (119.5 cases per 100,000 population)
CLARE
1 positive PCR case on Monday (80 cases per 100,000 population)
CORK
12 positive PCR cases on Monday (79 cases per 100,000 population)
DONEGAL
14 positive PCR cases on Monday (104.3 cases per 100,000 population)
DUBLIN
155 positive PCR cases on Monday (112.9 cases per 100,000 population)
GALWAY
40 positive PCR cases on Monday (90.3 cases per 100,000 population)
KERRY
13 positive PCR cases on Monday (74.5 cases per 100,000 population)
KILDARE
24 positive PCR cases on Monday (144.7 cases per 100,000 population)
KILKENNY
21 positive PCR cases on Monday (190.5 cases per 100,000 population)
LAOIS
8 positive PCR cases on Monday (114.5 cases per 100,000 population)
LEITRIM
4 positive PCR cases on Monday (112.3 cases per 100,000 population)
LIMERICK
17 positive PCR cases on Monday (131.4 cases per 100,000 population)
LONGFORD
2 positive PCR cases on Monday (61.2 cases per 100,000 population)
LOUTH
8 positive PCR cases on Monday (135 cases per 100,000 population)
MAYO
11 positive PCR cases on Monday (71.3 cases per 100,000 population)
MEATH
18 positive PCR cases on Monday (91.8 cases per 100,000 population)
MONAGHAN
2 positive PCR cases on Monday (83.1 cases per 100,000 population)
OFFALY
13 positive PCR cases on Monday (102.6 cases per 100,000 population)
ROSCOMMON
7 positive PCR cases on Monday (75.9 cases per 100,000 population)
SLIGO
12 positive PCR cases on Monday (111.4 cases per 100,000 population)
TIPPERARY
27 positive PCR cases on Monday (153.6 cases per 100,000 population)
WATERFORD
52 positive PCR cases on Monday (189.4 cases per 100,000 population)
WESTMEATH
24 positive PCR cases on Monday (113.8 cases per 100,000 population)
WEXFORD
27 positive PCR cases on Monday (122.9 cases per 100,000 population)
WICKLOW
9 positive PCR cases on Monday (111.6 cases per 100,000 population)
The sharp increase in cases and incidence of other respiratory illnesses has prompted Chief Medical Officer Prof Breda Smyth to advise the wearing of masks in shops and on public transport over the Christmas period.
Professor Smyth said: “Over Christmas we will see large scale social mixing, we will also see mass transit of people on public transport going from East to West, or West to East, or North to South, be it on whatever mode of public transport.
“And one thing we all can do to protect the vulnerable on the public transport, but also ourselves, is by wearing a mask.
“Our population and society has demonstrated how we can act in solidarity with one another and that we do care for one another.
“I think if we are to wear a mask, now is the time to wear it.”
The country’s top doc added: “Wear that mask on public transport and also in the shopping period over the coming week, it’s really important to wear a mask on public transport…. There are a lot of vulnerable people who do attend religious services, so I think it’s important that you make that key decision.
“Number one, if you have symptoms, that you don’t attend the service, number two, if you are in a vulnerable group, it is recommended that you would wear a mask if you are going into a crowded setting.
“And I think as a population then, people who are not in a vulnerable population category, we can always make that protective measure to care for others and to ensure that we reduce transmission.”
Mask wearing will not be made mandatory by the Government at this stage.
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