A DONEGAL GP has claimed that there could be as many as 400 positive Covid-19 cases in the county.
That figure was up 60 per cent, from 15, the previous day.
However, Gaoth Dobhair-based GP Dr Tony Delap believes those figures are actually much higher.
“Regarding the latest figures released showing that there were 24 cases of Covid-19 in Donegal on Friday night last, I don’t think that is the correct figure for Donegal at all,” Dr Delap said while speaking today with Áine Ní Churráin on Barrscéalta on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta today.
“If you look at the fact that there are four patients with Covid-19 in the ICU in Letterkenny University Hospital, for each patient with the virus in an ICU bed, they say that there are 100 positive cases in the community for each person in an ICU bed, so there are up to 400 Covid-19 cases in Donegal.”
So far, four people in the north west region have died after contracting Covid-19. As of yesterday’s figures have been 46 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland and 2,615 positive cases.
Dr Delap said: “We are having problems getting patients tested and there is a shortage of testing equipment. The testing facility in O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny had to cease operating due to a lack of equipment, so the figures are not right.
“Those patients we got tested last Thursday we still haven’t received their test results.
There is a delay in getting results and there is a problem with the testing as the testing equipment is in short supply, therefore you cannot pay too much attention to that figure, that there are 24 cases of Covid-19 in Donegal.”