DESPITE the easing of Covid restrictions, the Department of Public Health Mid West has warned that unvaccinated adults are at the highest risk of severe long term illness and death.
The Limerick-based Department confirmed that as of Tuesday, February 1, it had provisionally recorded more than 5,000 PCR-confirmed Covid cases over the previous 14 days in the Mid-West region.
However, cases may be even higher across region as antigen test result numbers are not currently available to the the Department’s surveillance teams.
“While transmission remains widespread and at a high rate, this is not a complete or full reflection of the disease profile in the community, as antigen test results by region are currently not available,” a Department spokesman said.
The Department urged people with symptoms to self-isolate, arrange testing, and avoid socialising of any kind and attending the workplace in order to prevent the continued spread of the virus, particularly to vulnerable groups.
“While deaths associated with Covid appear to be declining, it is important to know that severe illness and Long Covid are possible amid the current high levels of community transmission, and the unvaccinated adult population remains the highest at risk of illness and death.”
Director of Public Health Mid West, Dr Mai Mannix, praised public health workers in the region for their efforts in saving lives over the course of the pandemic.
However, she warned, that the Department’s work was far from over, as they are still closely monitoring the evolving epidemiological situation in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary.
