Key Findings
This is the third publication in our new series of information bulletins produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) that aims to provide insights on those who have either died or contracted COVID-19 by using data from the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting (CIDR) provided to the CSO by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre.
The data produced by the CSO in Table 2 is unique as it is based on the Actual Date of Death, as opposed to reported deaths. While probable deaths are not included in this analysis, this statistical standard in reporting enables a robust analysis of emerging trends over time. Issues in relation to reported or notified dates of death were previously described by the CSO in Information Note on the Implications of COVID-19 on the processing of Death Certificates.
This has enabled the CSO to plot the virus as it has moved from our cities to our towns, though income brackets (see Table 4), while charting its decline. The CSO analysis has found that from a mortality perspective Dublin (51% of all Deaths), those aged 65 or older (93% of all deaths) and those with an underlying condition (89% of all deaths) have all been hardest hit by the virus.
Looking at the Actual Date of Date, the CSO has found that the number of people who have died from COVID-19 has fallen for the sixth week in a row. (Table 2)
At the peak of the virus, the week ending 17 April 2020, 270 people were confirmed to have died from COVID-19. The number of deaths for the week ending 29 May was 34.
The difference in the number of deaths due to COVID-19 between women and men has narrowed over the last four weeks with women now accounting for 49% of all deaths up from 35% in early April.
The median age of deaths in the last week was 86 – the highest weekly median age recorded so far. The median age for all deaths due to COVID-19 is 83.
Dublin continues to be the worst hit by COVID-19 with 15 deaths in the last week. Dublin is the only county to record more than five new deaths each week for the past three weeks.
| Week Ending | Border | Midlands | West | Dublin | Mid-East | Mid-West | South-East | South-West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17/04/2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24/04/2020 | -13 | -175 | -67 | -1098 | -380 | -161 | -75 | -370 |
| 01/05/2020 | -296 | -140 | -113 | -1509 | -567 | -38 | -109 | -399 |
| 08/05/2020 | -341 | -60 | -164 | -2245 | -810 | -238 | -153 | -417 |
| 15/05/2020 | -388 | -233 | -156 | -2453 | -917 | -273 | -160 | -321 |
| 22/05/2020 | -419 | -330 | -204 | -2661 | -955 | -305 | -160 | -393 |
| 29/05/2020 | -464 | -351 | -236 | -2700 | -985 | -313 | -186 | -421 |
Confirmed Cases
This is also the sixth straight week that confirmed cases of COVID-19 have fallen. The number of confirmed cases notified at the peak of the series, the week ending 17 April, was 6,049. For the week ending 29 May, the number of confirmed cases was 393. (Table 3)
Women accounted for 57% of all cases. People aged under 65 make up 74% of all cases.
The median age of confirmed cases last week was 47. The median age of all cases so far is 48.
There were 200 new cases diagnosed in Dublin in the week ending 29 May down from the peak of 2,900 cases in the week ending 17 April. Cork, Galway and Kildare were the only other counties to record more than 20 new cases in the week ended 29 May.
This is the fourth week in a row that Donegal and Kerry have recorded less than 10 new cases and the fifth such week for Waterford.
The number of cases linked to an outbreak continues to rise with 39% of all cases now liked to an outbreak, up from 26% in early April.
Health Care Workers continue to make up almost a third of all cases.
For further COVID-19 related information go to the CSO COVID-19 Information Hub