Another 49 people have lost their lives as a result of the coronavirus in Ireland.
It brings the total death toll to 769.
631 new cases have also been confirmed bringing that total to 16,671.
In Tipperary, 14 more cases have been confirmed, meaning the county now has 320 cases – 2% of the overall figure.
This evening’s statement reads as follows:
Statement from the National Public Health Emergency Team – Wednesday 21 April
Published: 22 April 2020
From: Department of Health
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been informed that 49 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in Ireland have died.
There have now been 769* laboratory confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland. (10 deaths that were reported earlier have been de-notified)
As of 1pm Tuesday 21st April, the HPSC has been notified of 631 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. There is now a total of 16,671 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.
The HSE is working to identify any contacts the patients may have had to provide them with information and advice to prevent further spread.
As of midnight Tuesday 21st April, the HPSC has been informed of 302 clusters in residential care settings, 179 of which are in nursing homes.
Of the 769 deaths in laboratory confirmed cases, 412 are associated with residents of residential care settings, of which 348 are associated with nursing home settings.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “Testing is a key element to Ireland’s response to COVID-19.
“NPHET has consistently highlighted the importance of testing so that we can track the spread of the disease, reduce and contain its spread.
“As part of understanding the testing landscape, NPEHT requested that HIQA undertake a Health Technology Assessment of alternative diagnostic testing methods for detecting COVID-19.”
Dr Máirín Ryan, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health Technology Assessment, HIQA, said; “We have identified a range of diagnostic tests, both in development and already commercialised, that will need to be reviewed as part of a comprehensive quality assurance programme before being adopted as part of a national testing programme.
“The assessment has confirmed that Ireland’s current test, the real-time RT-PCR, remains the ‘gold standard’ test for detecting and confirming COVID-19 cases.
“HIQA continues to monitor and assess evidence on alternative diagnostic testing methods for COVID-19 and will report to NPHET on an ongoing basis.”
Department of Health’s COVID-19 Information Dashboard; providing latest case information.
Note
*Validation of data at the HPSC has resulted in the denotification of 10 deaths. The figure of 769 deaths reflects this.
Cases as of Monday, 20th April 2020
Today’s data from the HPSC, as of midnight, Monday 20th April (15,871 cases), reveals:
- 56% are female and 44% are male
- the median age of confirmed cases is 48 years
- 2,387 cases (15%) have been hospitalised
- of those hospitalised, 322 cases have been admitted to ICU
- 4,393 cases are associated with healthcare workers
- Dublin has the highest number of cases at 7,905 (50% of all cases) followed by Cork with 1,077 cases (7%)
- of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 61%, close contact accounts for 35%, travel abroad accounts for 4%
Hospital statistics
| Total number of cases | 15871 | |
| Total number hospitalised | 2387 | |
| Total number admitted to ICU | 322 | |
| Total number of deaths | 757 | |
| Total number of healthcare workers | 4393 | |
| Number clusters notified | 507 | |
| Cases associated with clusters | 507 | |
| Median age | 48 |
*All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 20 April 2020.
Gender of patients
| Gender | Number | % of Total |
| Female | 8906 | 56.1 |
| Male | 6909 | 43.5 |
| Unknown | 56 | 0.4 |
| Total | 15871 |
*All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 20 April 2020.
Age range affected
| Age Group | Number | % of Total |
| <1 | 28 | 0.2 |
| 1 – 4 | 58 | 0.4 |
| 5 – 14 | 169 | 1.1 |
| 15 – 24 | 1039 | 6.5 |
| 25 – 34 | 2635 | 16.6 |
| 35 – 44 | 2843 | 17.9 |
| 45 – 54 | 3039 | 19.1 |
| 55 – 64 | 2254 | 14.2 |
| 65+ | 3782 | 23.8 |
| Unknown | 24 | 0.2 |
*All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 20 April 2020.
How COVID-19 is spreading
| Community transmission | 61% |
| Close contact with confirmed case | 35% |
| Travel Abroad | 4% |
*All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 20 April 2020.
Note:
In the event that a person tests positive for COVID-19 and hasn’t been abroad or had contact with another confirmed case in Ireland, that’s known as community transmission.
In the event that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 can be linked to another confirmed case in Ireland, that’s known as local transmission.
Hospitalised cases by age group
| Age range | Number of cases | Percentage of total |
| <5 | 13 | 0.5 |
| 5 – 14 | 8 | 0.3 |
| 15 – 24 | 52 | 2.2 |
| 25 – 34 | 150 | 6.3 |
| 35 – 44 | 198 | 8.3 |
| 45 – 54 | 330 | 13.8 |
| 55 – 64 | 366 | 15.3 |
| 65+ | 1267 | 53.1 |
| Unknown | 3 | 0.1 |
*All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 20 April 2020.
Cases by county
| Carlow | 80 | 0.5% |
| Cavan | 430 | 2.7% |
| Clare | 165 | 1% |
| Cork | 1077 | 6.8% |
| Donegal | 416 | 2.5% |
| Dublin | 7905 | 49.8% |
| Galway | 309 | 1.9% |
| Kerry | 268 | 1.7% |
| Kildare | 851 | 5.4% |
| Kilkenny | 216 | 1.4% |
| Laois | 185 | 1.2% |
| Leitrim | 55 | 0.3% |
| Limerick | 415 | 2.6% |
| Longford | 101 | 0.6% |
| Louth | 489 | 3.1% |
| Mayo | 339 | 2.1% |
| Meath | 539 | 3.4% |
| Monaghan | 220 | 1.4% |
| Offaly | 198 | 1.2% |
| Roscommon | 91 | 0.6% |
| Sligo | 97 | 0.6% |
| Tipperary | 320 | 2% |
| Waterford | 119 | 0.7% |
| Westmeath | 386 | 2.4% |
| Wexford | 137 | 0.9% |
| Wicklow | 463 | 2.9% |
*All statistics measured at midnight on Monday 20 April 2020.
≤ means ‘less than or equal to’.
