Pubs well down list of outbreak settings
Pubs lay in 19th position with just 22 outbreaks out of the total of over 9,000 settings in the year up to midnight on Saturday the 21st of November.
According to its weekly report on the Epidemiology of Covid-19 Outbreaks/Clusters in Ireland, as a possible source of infection pubs lay in 19th position with just 22 outbreaks out of the total of over 9,000 settings in the year up to midnight on Saturday the 21st of November.
Private Houses remained the largest setting for outbreaks at 6,869 for the 47-week period with Nursing Homes next on 348.
Elsewhere, an EY report prepared for Government before the it announced a reduction of Level 5 to Level 3, stated that, “Wet pubs opened in all counties except Dublin in late September. This also coincided with universities opening together with specific sporting events. The 14 day disease incidence rate per 100k started to increase ten days later in every county. This increase was not seen to the same extent in Dublin.
The report pointed out that the increase in Dublin’s incidence rate was therefore lower than the national average and for larger counties.
“The subsequent incidence rate growth in Dublin was 33% lower than the national average and 79% to 82% lower than other counties with larger cities.”
These findings have been disputed by both the LVA and the VFI.
Supermarkets reported as most common setting in England
In England, supermarkets were reported to be the most common location visited by those subsequently testing positive for the Covid-19 virus between the 9th and the 15th of November. The data was picked up by the NHS Test and Trace app according to figures from Public Health England.
Those visiting and working in supermarkets accounted for 18.3% of all prior common locations reported by those testing positive for Covid-19. Those attending Secondary School came next with 12.7% of all common locations.
In contrast, those visiting Pubs or Bars were well down the list – in ninth position with a 1.6% share of the common locations – reported by people testing positive while those working in Hospitality accounted for just 1.5%. Those visiting restaurants or cafés accounted for just 1.0% of all common locations reported by those testing positive for Covid-19.
