COVID-19 at lowest since mid-December
PEOPLE URGED TO ‘KEEP THEIR EYE ON THE PRIZE’ AND NOT LET GUARD DOWN
AS restrictions eased yesterday (Monday) allowing for county-wide travel and the return of in-school teaching for all students, the 14 day incidence rate for COVID-19 is at its lowest since mid-December.
The latest figures, published by the HSE on Friday, show that Louth’s 14-day incidence rate has fallen to 131.1 per 100,000 population. The State-wide rate is 144.9 per 100,000 and Louth has now the tenth highest level of Covid-19.
The Dundalk- Carlingford Local Election Area, which takes in Omeath, Lordship, Jenkinstown has the lowest 14 day incidence rate for any LEA in the county for two weeks up to April 5, with new 21 cases, giving an incidence rate of 82 per 100,000 population. The Ardee LEA, which includes Annagassan, Castlebellingham, Dunleer, Louth and Tallanstown, has the next lowest rate with 28 cases and an incidence rate of 111 per 100,000 population. There were new 45 cases in Dundalk-South, which comprises Blackrock, Dromiskin and Knockbridge, giving an incidence rate of 111 per 100,000. Drogheda Urban had the highest rate of infection, with 86 new cases or an incidence rate of 311 per 100,000, followed by Drogheda Rural with 25 new cases and a rate of 140 per 100,000.
People need to ‘ keep their eye on the prize’ of winning the war against COVID-19, Deputy Ó Murchú said, as these figures show that Louth continues to push down the 14-day incidence rate.
‘Louth has shown how, with perseverance and a lot of sacrifice over the last few months, that the incident rate can be reduced dramatically. We need to keep our eyes on the prize of winning the war against COVID-19,’ he said.
‘We are getting there, but people need to remain vigilant, particularly now that the schools are returning, there is a slight easing of restrictions. People are allowed to travel within their county and 20kms from their home’.
He urged them ‘ to continue what they’re doing – social distancing and minimising contacts’.
However, he said the government needs to ‘move quicker and be clearer’ about changes to mandatory hotel quarantine.
‘ There are a number of questions that need dealt with including what happens to fully vaccinated people who are coming in, what constitutes essential travel and how Erasmus students and others will be facilitated.
‘We are coming late to mandatory hotel quarantine as a policy and had we done this earlier there would have been greater benefits and we would be in a better place.
‘ The whole point is that it reduces the numbers travelling into Ireland, but the government needs to be better at dealing with the inevitable anomalies that happen, through engagement with public health experts’.
He also revealed that the EU’s ‘vaccine hunter’ Thierry Breton is to appear before the Oireachtas European Affairs committee on April 20, following his suggestion.