Cases of Covid-19 have increased in towns but are now falling in cities

THE coronavirus has moved out of cities and into towns around Ireland in recent weeks, it emerged yesterday.

The number of people contracting Covid-19 in cities has fallen, but it has increased in towns, new figures reveal.

People living in these towns now account for 12pc of cases, up from 5pc in the week ending March 20, the Central Statistics Office showed yesterday.

More than one in two deaths from the virus have been in Dublin, but there are a significant number of counties where there have been fewer than 10 deaths since this crisis started.

The number of deaths in Dublin from Covid-19 hit its peak in the week ending April 10, while most other counties recorded their highest numbers of deaths from the virus the following week.

Most of the country had its peak number of cases in midApril but it was later in Cavan and Monaghan.

Roscommon has only seen a significant decrease in cases in the latest week, reflecting the move out of the cities and into independent urban towns.

The picture emerged as chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan yesterday announced another six deaths from the virus, bringing the toll to 1,645.

A further 39 cases of the virus were diagnosed, bringing the level of infections here to 24,876.

The National Public Health Emergency Team meets next week to decide if phase two of the exit from lockdown should go ahead.

He signalled that new guidelines would include some additional allowances for children’s activities. It is understood this may give the go-ahead for summer camps.

Asked if people should continue to keep the 5km distance limit this weekend, he said it should continue to be adhered to because the advice remains to stay at home although people can avail of limited meetings with groups of up to four outdoors.

The advice is to “keep a record” of people you meet this weekend in case they have to be contacted for testing in the event of a positive coronavirus case.

Individual behaviours would determine if the virus continued to be suppressed, he said.

Asked about parents being apprehensive about sending children back to childcare facilities, based on new guidelines on pods yesterday, he said the matter was one of a “calculated” risk.

He has taken assurance from other countries where childcare and schools have been resumed and the news that it has not led to any increase in transmission of the disease.

“They give us an assurance that at this point we can take this step,” he added.