Spikes in covid infections linked to social gatherings after county finals — study

The 14-day incidence rate of covid-19 increased 
between 81 cases per 100,000 and 198 per 100,000 after county finals in Dublin, Mayo, Offaly, Monaghan and Meath. File picture: Stephen McCarthy / SPORTSFILE

Spikes in the incidence of covid-19 infections were linked in many cases to social gatherings following county GAA finals in the autumn of 2020, according to the findings of a new study.

Researchers from the University of Galway examined the 14-day incidence rate of covid-19 in the local electoral area (LEA) which contained teams that won their county final in either Gaelic football or hurling in the first year of the pandemic and compared it to the results from other LEAs in the same county.