Covid-19 case numbers have declined in five out of seven local authority areas in Donegal in the past fortnight, Department of Health data shows.
The South Donegal area and North Inishowen LEA were the only areas to record a recent increase in cases.
The Donegal LEA now has the largest transmission levels in the county. The 14-day incidence rate in the area is above average at 310 per 100,000.
Ireland’s average 14-day incidence rate was 240 per 100,000 population the time of the analysis.
Here is a look at the situation between 9 – 22 February 2021:
The Lifford-Stranorlar region has marked a significant improvement in the past fortnight. New case numbers have almost halved in the two weeks up to 22nd February, down from 95 in the last two weeks, while the 14 day incidence rate is now 204 per 100,000.
Case numbers have also fallen in the Letterkenny LEA. There were 23 new cases in the area up to 15th February. The 14-day incidence rate now stands at 77 per 100,000.
Covid-19 detections have also halved in the Milford area. There were 8 new cases in the past two weeks- down from 16 in the previous period. The 14-day incidence rate in Milford LEA is now 58 per 100,000.
Carndonagh/North Inishowen marked an increase in the past two weeks – there were 29 new cases in the area – up from 25 in the past two weeks. The area’s 14-day incidence rate is 171 per 100,000.
The Buncrana/South Inishowen region’s 14 day incidence rate is down again to 161 per 100,000. There were 36 new cases of the virus detected in South Inishowen in the past two weeks.
Case numbers have also reduced again in the West Donegal Glenties LEA. With 22 new detections (down from 28 in the previous analysis), the 14-day incidence rate is 92 per 100,000.
“We are making good progress and can see that many of the key indicators of disease levels in our communities are continuing to fall. This progress is the reason we are able to reopen our schools in a cautious and phased basis,” said Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Medical Officer on Thursday.
“However, we must remember that COVID-19 is still circulating at a high level and, we are still seeing positivity rates of around 15% in the community. As we see more of our children return to school next week, it is important that we continue to follow all of the public health guidance, including on the school run.
“Maintain a social distance at all times, wear a face covering, do not mix with other households other than for essential reasons, wash your hands, and most importantly, ensure that children do not attend school if they display symptoms of COVID-19, as per the HSE website, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell. If you display any of these symptoms, you should self-isolate and phone your GP or GP out-of-hours service to arrange for a test.”