New report shows Ireland’s Covid-19 fatality rate is up to 5.3%

Ireland’s case fatality rate from coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, has risen to 5.3 per cent, new figures show.

A report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) on Monday shows that of the 22,671 laboratory confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Republic, some 1,203 people had died, as of midnight on Friday, May 8th.

The HPSC’s daily epidemiological report also shows that 43.8 per cent of all coronavirus deaths are people over the age of 85, while 34.2 per cent of deaths are individuals aged between 74 and 84.

Some 2,986 people who contracted Covid-19 were hospitalised, representing 13 per cent of total cases. Of those hospitalisations, only 383 were admitted to an intensive care unit.

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The HPSC report shows that the "Border effect" is still visible, with counties bordering Northern Ireland having a higher incidence of coronavirus than counties that are located further south.

Cavan has the highest incidence rate of the virus in the country at 987.2 per 100,000, surpassing Dublin which has a rate of 821.5 per 100,000.

The incidence rates in other Border counties are also quickly climbing, with Monaghan having a rate of 728.2 per 100,000 and Louth having a rate of 559.4.

Waterford has the lowest incidence of the virus with an incidence of 123.1, followed by Co Wexford with a rate of 132.9.

Numerically, Dublin accounts for almost half of all confirmed cases, at 11,068, followed by Kildare, where 5.8 per cent of cases have been reported, and then Cork, with 1,207 cases (5 per cent). Leitrim has the fewest incidents of coronavirus with 66.

Females account for 57.3 per cent of the cases and males 42.5 per cent, with the remainder unknown, the HPSC said.

Healthcare workers make up 29.9 per cent of all test-positive instances, with 6,771. The majority of these cases were individuals who work in the HSE East operation area.

The HPSC reports that there are 750 clusters or outbreaks of cases, 238 of which - or 31.7 per cent - were reported in nursing homes.

Residential institutions reported 145 clusters, outbreaks were reported in 142 private houses and hospitals have experienced 89 clusters.

A cluster is referred to as two or more confirmed cases.

For cases where transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 61 per cent, close contact accounts for 36 per cent and travel abroad for 3 per cent.