LATEST: 334 new cases of virus confirmed, Ireland has one of Europe’s highest infection rates among older people

There has been no further coronavirus related deaths but 334 more cases of Covid-19 were confirmed this evening.

The death toll as a result of the virus remains at 1,792. There are now 33,444 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the country, according to the latest daily briefing from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).

The latest breakdown of cases is as follows: 174 cases in Dublin, 34 in Cork, 30 in Kildare, 18 in Donegal, 10 in Galway, 10 in Louth, 6 in Clare, 6 in Mayo, 6 in Meath, 6 in Roscommon, 6 in Waterford, 5 in Limerick, with the remaining 23 spread across 11 counties.

Meanwhile, separate figures reveal Ireland has one of the highest rates in western Europe of Covid-19 infections among older people.

Newly published data from the European Centre for Disease Control (ERDC) shows the rate of cases among 65-79 year-olds in Ireland is nine times higher than in Germany, while for those aged over 80 it is 17 times higher.

Among those aged 80 and over, Ireland ranked sixth in Europe for the 14-day incidence of Covid per 100,000 people, behind Spain, Malta, Romania, Bosnia and North Macedonia. Among 65 to 79-year-olds, Ireland ranked eighth in Europe behind Spain, Malta, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bosnia and North Macedonia.

Reports today suggested the high rates of cases among older people in Ireland may be related to the fact that serial testing is now being carried out in nursing homes. The ERDC data shows Ireland is ranked seventh in Europe for testing, with 1,525 tests carried out per 100,000 population.

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