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There were 208 new Covid-19 cases nationwide, including 108 in Dublin, and no further deaths were reported on Monday, according to figures released by the National Public Health Emergencies Team (NPHET).
Of the cases, 62% are under 45 years of age. Apart from Dublin, 18 cases are in Louth, 12 in Donegal, 10 in Meath, 9 in Kildare, 8 in Waterford, 7 in Cork, 6 in Limerick, 6 in Wexford and the remaining 24 cases are in Carlow, Cavan, Clare , Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Tipperary, Westmeath and Wicklow.
Acting Medical Director Dr. Ronan Glynn said that NPHET has decided to reduce the isolation period from 14 to 10 days for confirmed cases from the onset of symptoms, based on advice received from the Expert Advisory Group following a review of the evidence.
He also said that NPHET has agreed that nasal swabs are an acceptable alternative for children to the invasive nasopharyngeal swab.
“Hopefully this will make testing a simpler process for kids in the future,” he said.
Under the new isolation guidelines, patients who test positive for the virus are advised to self-isolate for “a minimum of 10 days” from the onset of symptoms. They should also go five days without fever.
When a person with Covid-19 symptoms tests negative, they are advised to isolate themselves for up to 48 hours after their symptoms resolve.
The new guidelines for children under the age of 13 provide for testing based on nasal swabs, rather than the nasal / throat swabs currently in effect.
The new advice is contained in the revised guidelines for GPs from the HSE and the Center for Health Protection Surveillance.
The change from 14 days to 10 does not apply to contacts of confirmed cases that have been evaluated, nor to people arriving from countries other than those on the Government’s green list. These groups must still restrict their movements for 14 days.
Meanwhile, the latest update from the European Center for Disease Control shows that the incidence of the disease is twice that in Germany or Sweden.
Ireland reports a 14-day incidence of 45.4 to the ECDC, compared to 21.7 in Germany and 22.7 in Sweden.
Most European countries are currently experiencing an increase in cases: the UK reports an incidence of 51.1 and Spain has the highest rate, 270.7.
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