The updated breakdown of the location of COVID-19 cases in Westmeath

There have been just six new cases of COVID-19 recorded on the Westmeath side of Athlone in the last two months, according to new figures released today.

The figures also show that across Westmeath, there were no significant changes in the distribution of COVID-19 cases during the past two months

An updated geographical breakdown of cases by electoral division was published today with data complete up to August 12. The most recent previous update related to June 12.

The figures reiterate that Mullingar and Kilbeggan have accounted for the bulk of all confirmed cases to date in Westmeath, although, again, there has been hardly any change since the last figures were released for June 12.

There have been 210 confirmed cases to date in Mullingar North Urban, South Urban and Rural electoral divisions, up from 207 in June.

The number of cases in Kilbeggan has remained at 86 over the past two months.

The small urban area in the centre of Athlone accounts for just 17 cases, with seven in Athlone West urban area (up from 6) and ten in the Athlone East urban area (up from nine). These two areas represents a population of some 7,600 people in the centre of Athlone on both sides of the river.

There were four extra cases of COVID-19 in the Athlone East Rural electoral division since June 12. The new figures indicate 32 cases across that electoral division – the area directly around the centre of the town on the east side of Athlone. This area, with a population of some 7,500, includes Garrycastle, Clonbrusk, Arcadia, Lissywollen and part of Retreat.

There was no change in the number of cases in the last two months in the Athlone West Rural electoral division, which includes Bealnamulla, Monksland and Baylough and covers a population of 5,000 people. That area has had 15 confirmed cases to date.

The number of cases in Streamstown, which had a notable level, 23, from a population of 378, has also not changed since June 12.

In neighbouring counties, Ballymahon in Longford – on August 12 accounted for 173 positive cases of COVID-19 – the same as on June 12.

In Westmeath, there have been 18 cases in Kinnegad, 12 in Kinturk (which covers Castlepollard), ten in Killucan, nine in the Belvedere district, seven in Templepatrick (Moyvore) six in Castlelost and in Kilbixy, which includes Ballinacarrigy.

The figures are published by the Department of Health and are a collaboration between the Department of Health, Ordnance Survey Ireland, the All-Ireland Research Observatory, HPSC, HSE and the Central Statistics Office.

Figures are based on cumulative cases to-date (total confirmed) and it should be noted that a high proportion of such cases will have fully recovered within a 14 day period.

Although the figures are based on the residential address of the confirmed positive case, the Department of Health, after a series of queries from the Westmeath Independent, admitted that “In the earlier mass testing in nursing homes, many of the HCW (healthcare workers) had the residential facility as their address. A similar situation related to meat factory outbreaks and mass testing there.”

An explanatory note was later added to the official Government site to indicate that: “For a proportion of notified COVID-19 cases, their location on the map may reflect their place of work rather than their home address.”

As a result, the figure for the number of COVID-19 cases in an electoral division may, in some instances, include either healthcare workers in nursing homes in that electoral division, who do not live in the area, or workers at meat plants in that electoral division, who do not live in the area.

The figures are also analysed on a per population basis and a comparison is possible between various areas of the country.

However, the value of that comparison is undermined by the admission that the COVID-19 figures for electoral divisions in some cases include positives tests of people not resident in the area.

The figures are provided by the Government as part of a COVID-19 information dashboard HERE

Users can enter their Eircode, which then identifies the electoral division they are resident of.

The site will then outline the cumulative number of cases of COVID-19 that have been recorded in that electoral division.

Simply scroll down to the section headed: COVID-19 Confirmed Cases at Electoral Division (ED) Level

Then enter your Eircode in the search box provided.

If an electoral division has recorded less than five confirmed cases, no specific figures are provided for that area, for confidentiality reasons.

Below are the figures for electoral divisions in Westmeath which, on August 12, had five or more cases.

ED Name: ATHLONE WEST URBAN

Pop 2016: 3,260

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 6; August 12 - 7

ED Name: ATHLONE EAST URBAN

Pop 2016: 4,382

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 9; August 12 - 10

ED Name: ATHLONE EAST RURAL

Pop 2016: 7,560

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 28; August 12 - 32

ED Name: MOYDRUM

Pop 2016: 2,922

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5; August 12 – 5

ED Name: TUBBRIT

Pop 2016: 689

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5; August 12 - 5

ED Name: MOATE

Pop 2016: 3,088

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 27; August 12 - 27

ED Name: BELLANALACK

Pop 2016: 579

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5; August 12 - 5

ED Name: STREAMSTOWN

Pop 2016: 378

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 23; August 12 - 23

ED Name: TEMPLEPATRICK

Pop 2016: 185

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 7, August 12 – 7

ED Name: KILBIXY

County: WESTMEATH

Pop 2016: 603

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 6; August 12 – 6

ED Name: KILBEGGAN

Pop 2016: 1,604

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 86; August 12 - 86

ED Name: CASTLELOST

Pop 2016: 1,692

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 6; August 12 - 6

ED Name: HOPESTOWN

Pop 2016: 560

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 6; August 12 - 7

ED Name: MULLINGAR NORTH URBAN

Pop 2016: 5,610

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 57; August 12: 59

ED Name: MULLINGAR RURAL

Pop 2016: 10,783

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 126, August 12 - 127

ED Name: MULLINGAR SOUTH URBAN

Pop 2016: 4,422

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 24, August 12 - 24

ED Name: CLONARNEY

Pop 2016: 504

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5, August 12 - 5

ED Name: FORE WEST

Pop 2016: 386

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5, August 12 - 5

ED Name: KILLUA

Pop 2016: 1,046

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5, August 12 – 5

ED Name: KINTURK

Pop 2016: 1,344

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12: 12; August 12: 12

ED Name: BALLYHEALY

Pop 2016: 293

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5, August 12 - 5

ED Name: KILLUCAN

Pop 2016: 1,826

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 10, August 12 – 10

ED Name: KINNEGAD

Pop 2016: 2,915

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 18, August 12 - 18

ED Name: CASTLE

Pop 2016: 876

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 12, August 12 - 12

ED Name: CLOGHAN

Pop 2016: 359

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 - 9, August 12 - 9

ED Name: RUSSELLSTOWN

County: WESTMEATH

Pop 2016: 495

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: 7

ED Name: BELVIDERE

County: WESTMEATH

Pop 2016: 707

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 - 9, August 12 - 9

ED Name: FORE EAST

County: WESTMEATH

Pop 2016: 392

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: 5

OTHER NEIGHBOURING AREAS TO WESTMEATH

ED Name: ATHLONE WEST RURAL

County: ROSCOMMON

Pop 2016: 4,978

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 - 15, August 12 - 15

ED Name: CLARA

County: OFFALY

Pop 2016: 3,956

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 68, August 12 - 69

ED Name: FERBANE

County: OFFALY

Pop 2016: 1,223

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 5, August 12 - 5

ED Name: BALLYMAHON

County: LONGFORD

Pop 2016: 2,674

COVID-19 Confirmed Cases: June 12 – 173, August 12 - 173