FERMANAGH has recorded its highest number of positive Covid cases in a single week, with more than twice as many positive test results in the past seven days than in the entire first nine months of the pandemic combined.
The total number of people to have tested positive in the Fermanagh and Omagh District has now passed the 4,000 mark, with 690 positive Covid cases reported locally over the past week. That is a jump from the record set last week of 427, which had risen from 354 the previous week and 216 the week before that.
For context, by the beginning of October, there had been just over 300 positive Covid cases in the area in total.
On top of that, there have sadly been six Covid deaths in the area in the past seven days, with the grim total now standing at 52. Up until October there had been 11 local Covid deaths in total.
While the cases are reported per local government district, which means Fermanagh cases are reported along with Omagh cases, a breakdown of local postcode areas shows Fermanagh accounts for 477 of the cases reported this week.
In BT74, covering Enniskillen, there were 174 positive test results, accounting for an infection rate per 100,000 of 718.
In BT94, covering from Irvinestown to Tempo to Maguiresbridge, there were 73 positive cases, with an infection rate of 451.
In BT92, covering from Derrylin to Lisnaskea, there were 151 positive tests, with an infection rate of 871, which was the worst rate in the county this week.
In BT93, covering Belleek, Garrison, Kesh and Derrygonnelly, there were 79 positive cases, with an infection rate of 699. A significant jump for an area which not too long ago boasted the lowest rate in the North and just a small handful of cases.
Almost half of those who tested positive locally were aged between 20-39 years old, with those aged 40-59 the group with the second highest number of positive results.
At the time of writing there were 23 Covid patients in SWAH, and none were in the ICU.
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