COVID-19 cases increasing in Ireland
Indicators of COVID-19 circulation in Ireland are increasing. Several other European countries are reporting signals of increased COVID-19 activity also. The JN.1 COVID-19 variant is currently the predominant variant in Ireland and globally.
The spring booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be available until 14 June. We recommend that those eligible receive it as soon as possible. The booster is available to you if you are:
- aged 80 or older
- aged 5 or older with a weak immune system
- living in a long-term care facility for older adults
If you are age 70 to 79, you can request a vaccine. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about your reasons for wanting a booster. Information on how to get the Booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is available at: https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-booster-dose/
In week 21 (May 19-25, 2024):
- 306 confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported to the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting system (CIDR), an increase of 19.1% compared to week 20 (May 12-18, 2024) when 257 confirmed COVID-19 cases notified.
- 154 hospitalised cases were reported, an increase of 40% compared to week 20 when 110 cases were reported
Provisional data for week 22, 2024, indicates that COVID-19 cases are continuing to increase.
Since the emergence of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in winter 2021, we have observed waves of increased COVID-19 circulation every 3 to 5 months. The last substantial wave of COVID-19 activity in Ireland was in December 2023 and January 2024.
We experienced spring and summer waves of increased COVID-19 circulation in 2022 and 2023. Thankfully these spring and summer waves have been smaller than the winter waves.
There is no evidence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant associated with more severe disease and indicators of severe COVID-19 disease in Ireland remain low. However, as in previous waves, if COVID-19 case numbers increase substantially, some level of increase in people experiencing severe disease is likely to follow. We have also seen in previous waves that increased circulation in the community results in an increase in outbreaks in nursing homes and other healthcare settings.
For advice on preventing the spread of COVID-19 and what to do if you have symptoms go to: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/preventing-the-spread/. If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, even mild ones, stay at home until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone. You should also avoid contact with other people, especially people at higher risk from COVID-19.
Information on COVID-19 trends is updated every Wednesday on the Respiratory Virus Notification Data Hub.