Remote areas report Covid-19 surges as Munster hospitals struggle to manage patient load

Villages that experienced little or no cases now hit by virus

Cases of Covid-19 have been reported in Durrus village in Co Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane

Remote rural areas which up to now experienced little or no Covid-19 cases are reporting surges in the virus, while hospitals are being overrun with patients, leading Cork University Hospital (CUH) management to urge people not to attend its emergency department unless absolutely vital.

Remote villages in West Cork, which had not seen a positive Covid case since the beginning of the pandemic, have experienced a recent noticeable increase in positive tests, according to a GP.

Dr Paul O’Sullivan, from Bantry, believes GP services and primary care will come under more significant pressure in the coming weeks due to the explosion in cases.

We prided ourselves that we were able to keep out Covid from West Cork to a certain degree, with any clusters jumped on immediately by local staff and aided by public health over the year. 

"Now I'm getting reports of cases appearing all over West Cork, especially in villages that were previously case-free all year. You are talking about areas like Kilcrohane, Durrus, and Ahakista, and places further west,” Dr O'Sullivan said.

He described the latest increase as “like something out of one of these Hollywood movies where people realise nowhere is safe”. 

“There is palpable fear now everywhere as families with people visiting for Christmas are testing positive, cooped up in houses for the next few weeks uncertain of the future. All we can do now is damage limitation, and we will only see the benefit of that in two weeks' time," he said.

Kitchen Cove, Ahakista, West Cork. Ahakista is among the areas to see an increase in Covid-19 cases.  Picture: Denis Scannell

A CUH spokesman said the emergency department has been “exceptionally busy” over the last number of days due to an increase in admissions and it's “regrettable” that patients treated there may experience delays.

He said hospital management has requested that the public contact their GP or SouthDoc in the first instance and explore all other options available to them prior to attending the emergency department if their needs are not urgent.

People are being urged to contact their GP or SouthDoc; the Mercy Urgent Care Centre, St Mary’s Health Campus, Gurranabraher, (8am to 6pm, Tel [phone]) and the local injuries units at Bantry General Hospital (8am to 7:30pm, Tel [phone]) and Mallow General Hospital (8am to 7pm, Tel [phone]).

A spokesman for Cork Mercy University Hospital (MUH) said they are experiencing an increase in Covid-19 admissions in line with what is happening nationally, but it is currently not overcrowded.

“However, due to the increase nationally in hospitalisations of patients with Covid-19 over the last few days, MUH remains on high alert and ready for an expected increase in Covid-19 patient admissions,” the hospital spokesman said.

Meanwhile, there have been 1,500 Covid-19 cases reported in the mid-west region over the past two weeks, the vast majority in the Limerick area.

Increased social gatherings over the Christmas period are being blamed for the rise.

Durrus is 10km west of Bantry.

Dr Mai Mannix, the region's director of public health, said they urgently need to reduce numbers of cases in the coming weeks, and in level 5 restrictions “the best thing we can do is to stay home and hold firm, in order to protect ourselves and our vulnerable loved ones”. 

Dr Mannix said people's individual actions now will help save lives and ensure that the health service can deal with all those who will need both Covid and non-Covid care.