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University College Cork (UCC) has confirmed that it has notified the Health Service Executive (HSE) of several cases of Covid-19 among students in campus accommodation. The university said appropriate protocols have been implemented.
Three cases of Covid-19 in a university-run accommodation block were reported on social media earlier this week and the UCC has now confirmed to The Irish Times that multiple cases of the disease have been reported.
“Following the increase in confirmed cases in Cork in recent weeks, there have been some confirmed cases in certain homes of the UCC campus accommodation,” the UCC said in a statement.
“HSE has conducted a public health risk assessment of the situation, and those who would have been considered close contacts are being contacted and counseled.
“The UCC campus housing remains open, improved cleaning protocols will be continued, and UCC will continue to work closely with HSE public health and implement recommended precautionary measures.”
The university said that due to patient confidentiality, they could not release details of individual cases or particular locations.
“HSE Public Health has reported that the case rate is comparable to the overall case rate in the community.”
UCC, which has about 22,000 students and nearly 3,000 employees, but has chosen to teach almost all classes online during the first semester, said in its statement that it has a support network for any student who may need assistance.
Local residents living near UCC have been at the forefront inhighlighting the concerns they have about students having Covid-19 partiesin privately owned rental housing during the summer and outside the academic year.
According to figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Center (HPSC) on the 14-day incidence of confirmed Covid-19 cases, the South Central District of Cork has the highest incidence of coronavirus in the city between September 22 and on October 5 with 240.5 per 100,000.
This compares to the adjacent Cork South West Ward, which includes the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), and has a 14-day incidence rate of 191.3 per 100,000, while Cork North East Ward has an incidence rate of 173.1 per 100,000.
The Cork North West Ward is the next highest with an incidence rate of 126.9 cases per 100,000, while the South East Ward has the lowest in the city with an incidence rate of 93.5 cases per 100,000 people.
It should be noted that many UCC and CIT students from outside Cork City who would normally stay in rented accommodation near both institutions have been staying at home since September, as most classes are taught remotely.
The hotel closes
Meanwhile, a hotel in East Cork closed after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19. Garryvoe Hotel confirmed the closure in a Facebook post.
“Unfortunately, a member of our team tested positive for Covid-19. As a precautionary measure and in the interest of the safety of our staff and guests, we have made the decision to close the hotel as of Friday, October 9 for a period of time ”.
The hotel owners have spoken of their hope of reopening as soon as possible.
“We are a team here at Garryvoe and we have always cared for and supported each other in whatever way we can, we have stuck together and we will now. We’ll be back in business very soon, so don’t worry, we’ll all be together sooner rather than later.
“To our guests: We would also like to thank you for your support, understanding and patience at this time. The HSE will instruct us to follow all the necessary protocols.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and we look forward to welcoming you back to East Cork & the Garryvoe Hotel very soon.”
The hotel reservations team will continue to work in the coming days.
Midleton closure
In a separate development, a pub in Midleton in Co Cork also closed following the detection of a confirmed case of Covid-19 in a member of staff.
Niall Mac’s pub in the city released a statement on Facebook.
“Unfortunately, a staff member has tested positive for Covid-19. We received confirmation from the HSE last night. We are working with the ‘HSE contact tracing’ team and all staff members are being screened.
“While no customer is identified as a close contact, we advise anyone who has visited the bar from Friday, October 2 to Monday, October 5 to be on the lookout for any symptoms and to contact their GP if have any doubts.
“We will be in contact with our clients who attended the pub these days, who are not on Facebook.
“We have decided not to open under the level 3 restrictions and the pub will undergo extreme deep cleaning before reopening at the end of the month.”
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