12 other deaths, 236 more confirmed cases



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The Health Department has announced that 12 other people who had been diagnosed with Covid-19 here have died.

Bring the total deaths here to 1,458.

The Department has also confirmed an additional 236 confirmed cases of the virus, bringing the total number of people infected here to 22,996.

More than 700 patients remain in acute hospitals in the country with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19.

The department’s latest data as of midnight Friday shows that 2,986 cases, or 13% of all cases, have required hospitalization.

Of these, 383 cases were admitted to the ICU.

Health workers represent 29.8% of confirmed cases so far, with 6,771 confirmed cases.

The median age of cases so far is 49 years, with a division of 57% women and 43% men.

Dublin has the highest number of cases with 11,068 (49% of all cases) followed by Kildare with 1,324 cases (6%) and then Cork with 1,207 cases (5%).

Community transmission represents 61% of all cases, while close contact with a confirmed case represents 36%

Travel abroad represents 3% of confirmed cases so far.

As of the night before, there were 72 intensive care patients with confirmed cases of the virus, the same number as on Friday night.

The largest number of confirmed cases is found at Dublin Mater Hospital, which has 75 confirmed cases.

Limerick has the highest number of confirmed cases outside of Dublin with 48.

Hospital admissions continue to decline, and the number of confirmed cases admitted yesterday decreased nearly 8% the day before.

There are 161 intensive care beds available throughout the hospital system.

HSE chief operating officer Anne O’Connor said the number of vacant general beds dropped significantly last week, falling from 1,680 available beds to 1,242 available beds as activity in hospitals increases.

Ms. O’Connor also said that there were an increasing number of people awaiting hospital discharge.

More than 310 people were ready to be discharged, but they were falling behind mainly on issues related to discharge to long-term residential care.


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The figures come as HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid previously said there is uncertainty about what will happen next with Covid-19, and that it is challenging for HSE and for the country.

Speaking at the HSE’s Covid-19 weekly briefing, Mr. Reid said that the HSE had to ensure that the capacity of the Irish health system was not “stretched” and that it should focus on vulnerable groups in particular.

He warned that the cost of establishing a long-term testing and tracking system would be very significant and on a scale that no one could have anticipated a few months ago.

He said testing and tracing was a key part of helping to unlock restrictions in society.

He said the cost of supplying personal protective equipment to the Irish health system would be one billion euros per year. However, he said the cost of not investing in testing, tracking, and PPE could be much higher.

Furthermore, Education Minister Joe McHugh said he hopes schools can reopen in September, and that work is underway to ensure this can be done safely.

Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics, he said those issues are already being discussed with a number of stakeholders.



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