Tag Archives: director of public health Mid-West

THE Mid-West Public Health Department has warned about the risks posed for the spread of Covid-19 as a result of social mixing among multiple households. The warning was issued this week as it investigates more than 55 household situations, involving at least two cases each, across the Mid-West region since March 1. These “situations” are in households where a more in-depth public health risk assessment has been undertaken because of either having a suspected or confirmed outbreak. The department has provided an example of a complex community outbreak of more than 20 cases, occurring as a direct result of social mixing among multiple households, which occurred in the Mid-West region in recent months. Each household was exposed to other settings, including workplaces and extended families, resulting in further spread of infection outside the household. One household cluster was linked to a workplace outbreak of more than five cases, which then spread to the household of a staff member, resulting in …

AS the number of Covid-19 cases in Clare climbs to a total of almost 4,500, the Mid-West Public Health Department has warned single cases of the B117 strain have resulted in whole household outbreaks. While the 14-day incidence of the virus in the Banner has fallen from 322% last week to 144% this week, the HSE is expressing concern about a pattern of household clusters. A HSE spokesman warned the new variant seems to be more transmissible with higher numbers of infections from each new case. The 14-day incidence in Clare is now the fourth lowest in the country just above Tipperary, which stands at 147% and much lower than Limerick’s 252%. According to figures produced by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, there were 172 new cases of Covid-19 in Clare, 492 in Limerick and 225 in Tipperary from Februar 2 to February 15. The five-day moving average from January 19 to February 11 to February 15 is 36 in …

CLARE people have been asked to continue strictly adhering to public health guidelines combating the spread of Covid-19, despite a major drop in the 14-day incidence of the virus throughout the Mid-West. This come as official statistics show the 14-day incidence of the virus in the Banner has fallen recently from 1,386% to 536%. Interestingly, the 14-day incidence rate in Tipperary at 559% is now higher than Clare, but is much lower than Limerick, which stands at 781%. According to figures produced by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, there were 1,647 new cases of Covid-19 in Clare, 3,325 in Limerick and 1,558 in Tipperary from January 12 to January 25. The five-day moving average from January 21 to 25 is 62 in Limerick, 25 in Clare and 44 in Tipperary. The Department of Public Health Mid-West and HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare are urging people in the Mid-West to not get distracted by the gradual decrease in Covid-19 cases, and to …

A MAN from the Mid-West who failed to restrict his movements on his return from a holidays abroad infected 56 other people with Covid-19, the Mid-West HSE has revealed. This man, who inadvertently passed on this contagious virus to ten private households and a sports team, had mild symptoms including a runny nose and a mild sore throat. After discovering his temperature was normal, he socialised with a group of friends and later tested positive for Covid-19. However, by this stage, he had already infected a number of his friends. Three of these friends went on to infect their families. Another friend who he infected felt unwell and contacted her GP to arrange a Covid-19 test. She had the test in the morning but by afternoon she felt a bit better and decided to go to a friend’s party. After the party, she got her test result and it was positive. By attending the party while waiting for her test …