CONVOY, Lifford and Annagry are three of the areas worst affected by Covid-19 in Donegal in recent weeks, according to the latest analysis of cases by electoral district.
After two months, the Government finally updated a map of Ireland last week which shows the exact location of Covid-19 cases. The interactive chart allows the public to see how many positive cases of the coronavirus there have been in each town, village and town land.
It breaks down the amount of infections each “electoral division” has seen to date – but it does not show active cases.
The official figures, which are contained in ‘Ireland’s Covid-19 Data Hub’, are provided by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the HSE and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), while the hub also contains ordnance survey maps showing the locations of Covid-19 cases.
Donegal has seen just twenty-five recorded case of the virus in the past two months to Wednesday, August 12.
The Donegal ED analysis shows that, as is to be expected, the county’s biggest town has the highest number of cases at 70.
It reveals that Letterkenny Rural, with a population of 11,398 accounted for 51 (an increase of six on the total number (45) recorded back in June) of Donegal’s 495 confirmed cases with nine in Letterkenny Urban (9) and ten in Ballymacool (a rise of one).
For confidentiality reasons, exact figures are not published when there are less than five infections in an area.
The map also shows the Ramelton had 7 cases, Castlewray 9 (up from 6) with less than five further round the coast in Rathmullan.
While Inishowen was hit hard in the early days of the coronavirus, the latest figures indicate that the peninsula has been virtually virus free these past two months. In June, Fahan had the highest rate in the county with 33 confirmed cases from a population of 1,697 with 19 in Buncrana Urban and a further 12 in Buncrana Rural. There were six case in Carndonagh. Those figures all remain the same two months on.
In south Donegal, Killybegs was another area which recorded a higher rate – 25 cases from a population of 2,293 – with Dunkineely (7) and Kilcar (5). There has been one additional confirmed case in Killybegs since June.
There remains twenty-two cases in Ballyshannon with seven in Bundoran. Donegal town (6), the neighbouring Tantallon (9), Castlefin (5), St Johnston (5), Glengesh (5) and Stranorlar (5) were other areas at Electoral Division (ED) Level which had five or more confirmed cases across Donegal back in June remain as they were.
However, the figure for Convoy has jumped to thirteen, up five, from eight while Clonleigh South (Lifford) had 12 confirmed cases included in the latest figures. It has less than five cases on June 12.
Elsewhere Annagry (10), Gleneely, which is the ED adjacent to Killygordon, has six cases, Magheraclogher (6), Milford (5), Carrowkeel (5) and Dungloe (5) have been added to the Electoral Divisions which have five or more confirmed cases.
Many other urban areas in Donegal recorded fewer than five cases up to last Wednesday 12 August, including Gortahork, Falcarragh, Dunfanaghy, Creeslough, Glenties and Ardara.
Many rural electoral areas throughout Donegal also have fewer than five cases, particularly in the north west of the county.
Figures are based on cumulative cases to date, so a high proportion has fully recovered. The ED breakdown does not include cases reported since last Wednesday or late notifications that have still to be added to the official data.
The interactive ED maps can be viewed at https://covid19ireland-geohive.hub.arcgis.com/, where people can enter their eircode to check the number and incidence of cases in their area.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)