49 healthcare workers in Midlands have contracted COVID-19

More than one in four confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country involve healthcare workers, latest official figures have shown

Figures released by the HSE show that as of midnight, April 2, 27% of all COID-19 cases related to healthcare workers.

Some 49 healthcare workers in the HSE Midlands area had contracted the virus, two from foreign travel, 37 not related to foreign travel, and ten from sources not specified.

Meanwhile, latest figures continue to highlight the disproportionate number of cases in Westmeath.

The county continues to have the second highest rate of COVID-19 cases per head of population in the country.

Only Dublin at 167.1 cases per 100,000 population exceeds Westmeath’s rate (103.6). The next highest incidence is in Cavan at 88.0

Carlow has the country’s lowest incidence at 10.5 cases per 100,000 people.

 

Image: Incidence rate per 100,000 population as of midnight, April 2. Source: HPSC Ireland.

Meanwhile, figures obtained by RTE show that at 2pm on Saturday there were eight confirmed COVID-19 cases at Mullingar hospital and 14 suspected cases awaiting results.

At Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, there were four confirmed cases and 14 suspected cases awaiting results

And at Tullamore Hospital, there were 13 confirmed cases along with 27 suspected cases awaiting results.

The HSE figures also show there were 193 confirmed cases in the midlands at that stage, midnight, April 2.

Nationally, of 4014 cases on midnight, April 2, nine were under the age of 1

Of the 131 who had died at that stage, two were age between 25-34, one aged between 35-44, three between 45-54, seven aged between 55-64 and 118 over 65.

There were 206 clusters – accounting for 838 cases, or 20.9% of the then total. 98 were in either nursing homes (50), hospitals (37) or long stay units/community hospitals (11).

Two days previously, there were 160 clusters in the country, of which 73 were in nursing homes (38), hospitals (29) or long stay units/community hospitals (6).

The significant rise in clusters in both nursing homes and hospitals is a cause for concern.

Of the 206 clusters, 13 were in the Midlands, two in each of nursing homes and hospitals, one involving a private house, three were travel related, two were in a community hospital or long stay unit, two were community outbreaks and one involved a public house.