70 Donegal deaths have occurred as a result of Covid-19

As Donegal enters the busiest economic period of the year with Christmas next week, the county still has the highest 14-day incidence rate of transmission for Covid-19 anywhere in the Republic, with over 70 deaths now recorded from the disease here. 
Christmas 2020 will be like never before with the still over hanging shadow of a world pandemic weighing upon all Donegal citizens as the Taoiseach said yesterday that “the border counties is a worry for us”.
Dublin has now accounted for 948 deaths, Kildare 206 deaths, Meath 77 deaths, Monaghan 74 deaths, Cork 72 deaths followed by Donegal with 70 tragic deaths.  
Donegal also had the sixth highest Covid death rate per 100,000 of its population at 44, with Monaghan registering the highest at 120.5, according to data released by the Department of Health to TG4's 7Lá.   
While the average infection rate of the disease for the country is 84.7 per 100,000 of its population this week, the Donegal figure is staggering in comparison at 236.9 per 100,000 of its population. 

 
And from Friday three households will be allowed to mix, and all  will be allowed to travel around the country for a three week period until January 6, 2021.
It comes as EU Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen says the roll out of the first of the Covid-19 vaccines, will take place on the same day throughout the European Union, when approved by the European Medicines Agency. 
As of 8pm on Tuesday, 28 Covid-19 patients were being treated at Letterkenny University Hospital, one less than the hospital with the highest figure in the country, Kilkenny.
This compares to three Covid patients being treated at Sligo University Hospital.
A further six patients with suspected Covid-19 were being treated at the Donegal acute hospital.
There were no critical care beds available in the hospital at that time.
The number of Covid cases in the six Donegal electoral areas between November 23 and December 7 were Carndonagh LEA 88, Donegal LEA 18, Glenties LEA 15, Letterkenny LEA 96, Lifford-Stranorlar LEA 52 and Milford LEA with 24 cases during that time.

Border concerns
Earlier this week the Chief Executives of the six Health and Social Care Trusts issued a stark warning about unbearable pressures across the system in Northern Ireland, in the event of a probable further Covid-19 spike in early January.
They said: “Several of Northern Ireland’s acute hospitals are already operating beyond capacity and flow through hospitals has been seriously impacted by required restrictions as a result of Covid-19.
“Add pre-existing staffing pressures and staff absence due to Covid-19 infection, or the need to self-isolate, and there is a very real risk that hospitals will be overwhelmed in the event of a further Covid-19 spike in January.
“We are not making this point lightly and as a result, we are appealing to the public to be extremely cautious over the festive period and to take all necessary precautions to stop the virus spreading."
Yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that they would be meeting weekly in order to ensure infections did not follow rising patterns north of the border.
“We will be meeting weekly to keep an eye on the situation. NPHET will be meeting weekly. Our officials will be meeting weekly to keep a constant eye and monitoring of our situation and what is happening in Northern Ireland," he told the Dáil.
“We are now moving into a situation after Friday where people will be allowed go home.
“Once you get to a certain level, the virus transmits very quickly and thereafter grows exponentially.
“We have a strong testing capacity but we must be very vigilant now. But what we are witnessing in Northern Ireland could happen here if we allow things to go out of control which we are not going to do.”