Highest number of daily cases in the country in over six weeks

Ireland has reported the highest number of new COVID-19 cases in six and a half weeks.

As of midnight, Saturday, there were 764 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

It’s the highest daily level reported since back on November 2.

And the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has asked younger people who have been socialising to consider whether it is responsible to meet with older people later this week.

There were eight new cases during Saturday in Westmeath, and less than five in Roscommon. Roscommon has the third lowest 14-day incidence rate of the virus per population in the country and Westmeath has the fourth lowest.

Dr Holohan said: “Every indicator of disease severity is moving in the wrong direction, more rapidly than we had anticipated.

“We have particularly strong concerns about the prospect of inter-generational mixing around the festive season.

“On December 11 the 7-day incidence rate for people aged 19-44 was 106 per 100,000 population, by yesterday this rate had more than doubled to 217 per 100,000. If these younger people come into contact with their loved ones over the age of 65, we could see a spike in infections in this more vulnerable group. This would lead to very a serious pattern of disease, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and unnecessary deaths.”

“If you have been socialising in the past few weeks or over this weekend, consider your Christmas plans carefully. Is it responsible to meet with your family over 65 later this week, if you have not kept your contacts low? Should you cancel your plans? We have the very real prospect of COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon. Ensure that your loved ones stay alive to receive them, by keeping your distance from them if you have not restricted your movements to this point. As difficult as it may seem, staying away from older family this Christmas will protect them - and it would be an exceptional sacrifice made for the common good.”

Four additional deaths related to COVID-19 have been confirmed, bringing the total of COVID-19 related deaths to 2,158.

There has been a total of 2,158 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.

As of midnight Saturday 19th December, the HPSC has been notified of 764 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 79,542* confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Of the 764 new cases, 67% are under 45 years of age; 284 were in Dublin, 70 in Limerick, 52 in Donegal, 44 in Cork, 37 in Wexford and the remaining 277 cases are spread across another 20 counties.

As of 2pm today 233 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 29 are in ICU. 15 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.