Daily numbers of Covid-19 cases have climbed to 900 in the mid west, including 800 in Limerick, over the past 17 days, public health officials confirmed Wednesday.
The rise in cases include many asymptomatic cases, which had been circulating in the community have now been identified and asked to isolate in order to try to curb the spread of the disease.
Figures released today by the Department of Public Health Mid West showed that 60 cases were identified in the mid-west yesterday, Tuesday, June 1, the majority of which (50) were in Limerick.
There were eight people being treated today on the Covid respiratory ward at University Hospital Limerick.
Statistics of local covid-related deaths, if any, since late April/early May could not be provided, due to difficulties in correlating information from the HSE’s centralised computer system due to it being hacked in a cyber attack last month.
The rollout of life-saving vaccines has effectively halted the spread of the virus in the older population, however a Consultant in Infectious Disease at UHL, recently warned that any complacency in mask wearing or social distancing could have potentially serious consequences for younger adults.
Dr Sarah O’Connell, who is also the clinical COVID-19 lead across the UL Hospitals Group, said they were seeing adults aged in their 40s and 50s, who did not have underlying conditions, and who were otherwise perilously well, requiring treatment in the Covid respiratory ward at UHL.
“We do see some very severe cases from time to time in people who don’t have underlying conditions, and that is something I think the public should know, and it’s something that is very worrying for us, when we look after patients who have deteriorated, and who would have considered themselves to be well prior to becoming sick,” said Dr O’Connell.
“The majority are much younger now than what we would have seen previously, and for the most part some people have some underlying conditions,” she added.
Local public health officials were investigating 53 cases in 28 workplaces, with an estimated associated 156 close contacts – the majority of which were in Limerick.
Meanwhile, due to “significant queues” at two Limerick test centres at St Joseph’s health campus and in Ballysimon, people were advised “to explore the options of availing self-referral walk-in clinics at the Former Castlebrand Factory in Nenagh (9am to 7.45pm), and Block 1 Ballymalley Business Park in Ennis (12pm to 6.40pm)”.
Public health officials continue to investigate new outbreaks in small retailers, hair salons, and beauticians, offices, and factories over the past two weeks.
Outbreaks in creches and schools in the region have been linked to “social activity outside the school setting” and there is evidence that “some children are attending school while infectious with mild symptoms”.
Dr Mai Mannix, Director of Public Health Mid-West, said the case numbers are of “serious concern as we face increasing pressure amid the cyber attack”, but she remained “hopeful that a strong community response of availing of walk-in testing, and being extra cautious with public health guidelines, will put us in a more secure position in the coming weeks”.
Leaving Certificate students who find themselves to be “a new confirmed case or a new close contact will be at risk of missing exams”.
