Covid levels rise – but outbreak sees no jump in ICU admissions

The Covid-19 infection rate has accelerated again, with almost 6,000 new cases confirmed in Galway in the past fortnight.

This latest surge has not resulted in a jump in admissions to Intensive Care Units but local public hospitals remain under serious pressure from Covid and a spike in Emergency Department admissions.

University Hospital Galway cancelled elective surgeries this week, as it grappled with overcrowding and Covid outbreaks on six wards.

According to the latest figures, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) recorded a total of 5,751 Covid cases in Galway in the two weeks to Monday, March 28.

It means 410 cases were confirmed every day on average for the past 14 days, around 80 more cases per day when compared with the previous fortnight to Monday March 21.

This indicates that the disease is spreading faster throughout the community.

The 14-day infection rate in Galway stood at 95.7 cases per 100,000 population on Monday which was below the national average of 125.2 per 100,000. Limerick had the highest 14-day infection rate at 200.6 per 100,000.

On Monday, 87 patients in public hospitals had Covid, including 50 in University Hospital Galway and 37 in Portiuncula. Both hospitals were treating three Covid-patients in ICU, which represented no change in a week.

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