Meath footballer Michael Newman undergoing a walk-in Covid test at the centre in Navan last week. Photo: Seamus Farrelly

Navan Covid figures remain twice national average

TESTS Worrying numbers as indoor dining laws being rushed through Oireachtas this week

Ann Casey

Published: Wed 14 Jul 2021, 4:39 PM

Last updated: Wed 14 Jul 2021, 4:40 PM

As the reopening of the country continues, with preparations in place for a return to indoor dining, Navan's rate of Covid-infection remains persistently high at more than twice the national average.

The most recent figures show Navan to have a 14 day incidence rate of 246.2 per 100,000 compared to the national average of 117.7.

The worryingly high Navan figures prompted the HSE to open a pop up walk-in test centre at County Hall in Navan for three days over the weekend.

Some 460 people were among those who availed of this no-appointment service.

In the Ratoath area, the incident rate is also high at 165.1 per 100,000, but the Kells, Trim, Laytown/Bettystown and Ashbourne electoral areas are all under the national average.

On Monday, public health officials confirmed 600 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland. The Department of Health reported that 64 patients with the illness were in hospital, including 16 in intensive care units.

There was one patient with the virus in intensive care in Navan yesterday while there were two in hospital in Drogheda, one of them in intensive care.

Data relating to the number of deaths associated with the coronavirus disease have been affected by the cyber attack on the HSE IT systems.

The high figures in Navan are due to a number of outbreaks in recent weeks in households, extended families, workplaces and after social gatherings.

There has been a number of unrelated cases indicating a degree of community transmission. Some 75 per cent of cases in Meath are in the under 40 age group.

Meanwhile, the vaccination centre at Simonstown, Navan was expected to have vaccinated its 50,000th person over the weekend.

A second Covid-19 vaccination centre opened at Fairyhouse Racecourse recently as the HSE continues the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.

Pharmacists are also involved in vaccinating young people over 18.

However, local pharmacist and independent county councillor, Gillian Toole, has hit out at the government's proposal to allow fully the vaccinated dine indoors, warning it would “create a two-tier society based on a person's private medical information.”