The Department of Health have released figures to the 7Lá programme on TG4 which confirm that 33 people in Laois have sadly lost their lives to Covid-19 since the pandemic struck in March.
The figures cover the first 2,053 deaths – right from the beginning of the pandemic up to the 29 November.
Of the total deaths in the period, 921 took place in nursing homes, 797 in hospitals, 36 at home, 12 in other settings and a further 287 deaths were recorded where the place of death was unknown.
1,794 of the total deaths were in confirmed Covid-19 cases, 95 deaths were in probable cases while a further 164 deaths were in possible cases.
Laois’s death rate per 100,000 is 39 which puts the county smack in the middle, in 13th place, when it comes to the counties with the highest rates – and below the national average of 43.1.
Dublin recorded 948 deaths, the highest number in the period and almost half of the national total.
Kildare had 206 deaths while neighbouring Meath recorded 77. The next two highest counties were Monaghan with 74 deaths and Cork with 72.
But using the per 100,000 metric, Monaghan had the hughest death rate with 120.5.
Kildare was next highest with a rate of 92.6, followed by Cavan at 78.8 and Dublin at 70.4.
Laois has a similar enough rate per 100,000 to our fellow midlands neighbours – aside from Kildare.
Carlow had 24 deaths to give a 42 rate of deaths while Offaly had 20 to equal 25.7 rate per 100,000.
Tipperary had 30 deaths to give a per 100,000 rate of 18.8 while Westmeath had 35 deaths to give a figure of 39.4.
There were fewer than five deaths in Waterford and therefore the rate has not been given for that county or the next lowest county, Leitrim, to protect confidentiality.
April was the month that saw the highest number of deaths as 1,175 passed away.
The overall median age of those who died was 83 years.
SEE ALSO – Boost for residents of one Laois nursing home as Covid-proof visiting booth installed
