Galway county spared the worst of Covid

The spread of coronavirus in Galway has been mostly concentrated in the city, according to new analysis of confirmed cases, which reveals that large chunks of the county remained free of Covid-19 during the pandemic.

The Department of Health released a virtual map this week which pinpoints the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in each electoral division of Ireland.

It highlights a massive urban rural divide in the distribution of coronavirus – the majority of confirmed cases in Galway were of people living in the city, and large county towns have been relatively unscathed by the deadly virus.  Galway’s biggest county town, Tuam, recorded just six confirmed cases of Covid-19, with fewer than five in its hinterland in the electoral division known as Tuam Rural. The less sparsely populated electoral area of Cummer, which includes Corofin, recorded ten confirmed cases.

Both Ballinasloe and Gort had ten confirmed cases each, in the urban areas of those towns, with fewer than five in their immediate rural hinterlands, and Loughrea Town recorded a total of nine cases.

Connemara was relatively Covid-free. Oughterard recorded five confirmed cases, and it was the highest for any electoral area west of the Corrib outside of the city.

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