The Department of Public Health Mid-West is urging people in Clare to hold firm in staying at home and complying with public health guidelines, as a sign of solidarity with the region’s healthcare workers who are on the COVID-19 pandemic frontline.
There have been more than 1,600 COVID-19 cases reported in the past seven days, and more than 5,200 in the past 14 days across the Mid-West region. Over the past 14 days, there have been more than 3,100 cases recorded in Limerick, over 1,500 in Clare, and over 600 in North Tipperary.
While we are seeing a slight decrease in daily infection numbers, COVID-19 remains widespread in our community, and it continues to present a high risk for the vulnerable population, particularly those in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
As of January 19, according to Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting [CIDR] data, there have been 170 deaths associated with COVID-19 in the Mid-West region since March 2020. Approximately 50% of these deaths were in long-term care facilities and nursing homes.
Dr Mai Mannix, Director of Public Health Mid-West, said: “While we have seen few indications of slowdown in the transmission of the disease, the level of infection remains significantly high across the region.
“The third wave continues to leave its devastating impact on our community as we are a still some time away from seeing signs of relief. Right now, we are in no position to drop our guards or be complacent, which is why we need to hold firm, stay at home, and strictly follow public health guidelines.
“Every death as a result of COVID-19 is a tragedy, but we can prevent further loss of life by staying at home and strictly following public health guidelines. By doing so, we break the chains of transmission in the community, which can and will significantly reduce the risk of infection in settings in which our most vulnerable reside. When considering your movements and actions over the next couple of weeks, please think of those you want to protect from this illness.”
We continue managing and investigating a number of outbreaks in nursing homes, long-term care facilities and workplaces.
"While the numbers of COVID-19 cases are starting to plateau in our community, we are seeing high volumes of very sick patients attending our hospitals." CEO Colette Cowan appeals to our community to continue to follow public health advice. @HSELive#MidwestTogether#holdfirm
1/3 pic.twitter.com/3P0qVvga02— UL Hospitals (@ULHospitals) January 15, 2021