New figures from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) show that 10 Covid-19 outbreaks were notified in Cork and Kerry in the week ending June 4. 

Nationally, 35 outbreaks of the virus were reported nationally for the same period. 

Of the outbreaks notified in Cork and Kerry, four were in residential institutions, three were in nursing homes and the remainder were in a hospital (1), community hospital/long stay-unit (1) and other healthcare service setting (1). 

Figures from the Covid-19 data hub show that in the 14 days to June 7, 913 cases of Covid-19, confirmed by PCR, were reported in Cork. 

Increased circulation in community 

It comes as the HPSC advised that signals across several Covid-19 surveillance programmes indicate increased Covid-19 circulation in the community in Ireland. 

The HSE body said in the week to June 4, a total of 4,675 cases of the virus were reported to the Computerised Infectious Disease Reporting system (CIDR), an increase of 12.8% compared to the previous week.

In the same week, 5,668 positive antigen test results were registered on the HSE Positive Antigen Portal, an increase of 19.9 per cent compared to week 21 when 4,728 cases were registered.

There has also been an increase in Covid-19 hospitalisations.

The HPSC said that the increased circulation of Covid-19 in the population is likely due to the spread of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sublineages in Ireland. These variants are replacing the previous dominant Omicron variant BA.2.

“BA.4 and BA.5 are becoming the dominant variants in circulation across several European countries. This is likely to be due to their ability to evade immune protection caused by prior infection and/or vaccination, particularly if this immunity has waned over time,” the HPSC said.

People should remain vigilant 

It said that there is currently no indication of any change in infection severity compared to previous Omicron lineages.

However, it warned that as in previous waves, if Covid-19 case numbers increase substantially, some level of increased hospital and ICU admissions is likely to follow.

"In Ireland, we have seen in previous waves that increased circulation in the community results in an increase in patients with Covid-19 in hospital, and an increase in outbreaks in nursing homes and other healthcare settings.

“People should remain vigilant and follow public health advice on preventing the spread of Covid-19.

“If you have any symptoms of Covid-19, even mild ones, you should self-isolate (stay in your room) until 48 hours after your symptoms are mostly or fully gone, regardless of the result of an antigen test,” the HPSC said.