More new Covid-19 cases reported this month than in all of 2020

A dummy Covid-19 swab. File picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

There have now been more than 1,000 Covid-19-related deaths and more than 100,000 new cases confirmed in Ireland in the month of January.

Speaking on Saturday evening, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan confirmed that the country had seen more new cases this month than in all of 2020.

25,551 new cases have been recorded in the last week alone.

The grim milestones were reached as officials from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) reported 79 further deaths and 1,414 new cases of the virus here. 

Of the deaths reported, 78 occurred in the month of January.  

The median age of those who died is 82 years and the age range is 56-98 years.

The latest figures bring to 3,292 the total number of Covid-19-related deaths recorded in Ireland since the outbreak began.

To date, 195,303 cases have been confirmed in Ireland.

The CMO said the efforts by all of the population in following the basic public health advice had seen the country reduce the incidence of the disease "very rapidly compared to most countries in Europe."

Despite the recent, significant decrease in cases, there remains a level of infection in the population which is double that seen at the peak of incidence last October.

"The next few weeks need to see us maintain compliance with all of the measures that are in place so that we can get to levels of the disease that are as low as possible,” he added.

Of the cases notified on Saturday:

• 667 are men;
• 742 are women;
• 59% are under 45 years of age;
• The median age is 39 years old;
• 608 are located in Dublin;
• 105 are in Cork;
• 96 are in Galway;
• 65 are in Meath; 
• 59 are in Donegal;
• and the remaining 481 cases are spread across all other counties

As of 2pm Saturday, 1,492 Covid-19 patients were hospitalised - 211 of whom were in intensive care units. 

55 additional hospitalisations have been recorded in the past 24 hours.

The national 14-day incidence rate of the virus per 100,000 population now stands at 536.6. 

Validation of data at the HPSC has also resulted in the denotification of three confirmed cases. 

The figure of 195,303 above confirmed cases reflects these denotifications.