Clare is now effectively free of COVID-19.
The latest official statistics have again shown no fresh cases of the disease here, making it 28 days since the last diagnoses here.
The 28 days without a COVID case in Clare is a significant milestone.
It’s the equivalent of back-to-back 14-day quarantine periods, and has previously been indicated as the time in which the Department of Health, and other medical experts, consider a location to be free of coronavirus.
To date, there have been 368 cases of COVID-19 here, but transmission of the virus here has been very low over recent weeks.
There’s only been one new case in the forty days since the start of June, while Clare is the only county in Ireland that has gone four weeks without a new case.
Previously, both Sligo and Kerry have gone 28 days without a diagnosis, though positive cases were subsequently confirmed in both counties.
Ennis GP Dr Tony Cox, says Clare is to be commended for following all advice to date but he’s warning people still need to remain vigilant and practice social distancing.
We’re being warned however that there’s a “clear change” in the way Covid-19 is spreading across the country, with younger people now accounting for the vast majority of cases in this country.
All of the 23 newly-confirmed cases last night were people under 45 years of age, with 15 under the age of 25.
The National Public Health Emergency Team says people need to take immediate care and caution.
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronan Glynn, is appealing to younger people to be sensible if gathering this weekend.
People are being urged to take immediate action to cut down the transmission of Covid-19.
The chair of the Covid-19 modelling advisory group says the reproduction rate of the virus here is on the rise again.
He says every person getting infected is passing it onto at least one other person.
The World Health Organisation is warning that the coronavirus pandemic is not under control “in most parts” and is in fact “getting worse” across the globe.
Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus says the total number of cases worldwide has doubled in the last six weeks.
Meanwhile, people in the Australian state of Victoria have been told to wear masks outside after 288 new infections were recorded in 24 hours.
