One in every 50 people in Belmullet, Co Mayo, and Adare-Rathkeale, Co Limerick, had Covid-19 over the past fortnight, with the two areas suffering from the highest 14-day incidence rates in the State.
The latest data from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, published on Thursday, examines the 14-day Covid-19 incidence rate between December 22nd and January 4th in each of the State’s 166 electoral areas.
The rate for the period was 674.4, which was more than double the 245.6 observed in the previous 14-day period.
The data is published on the Government's Covid-19 Data Hub every Thursday night. Below, we put the figures in a searchable table so you can check your area and compare it to other local electoral areas in the Republic. If you are reading this on The Irish Times app, go here to search.
The worst affected area was Belmullet, where 266 people had the virus out of a population of 12,600. That amounted to an incidence rate of 2,111.1 per 100,000 people, which was more than three times the national rate.
The next worst affected area was Adare-Rathkeale, Co Limerick, where there were 557 cases out of a population of 27,710. That gave it an incidence rate of 2,010.1 per 100,000 people.
Another badly affected area was neighbouring Newcastle West, where there were 404 cases in a population of 27,416. That gave the region an incidence rate of 1,473.6 cases per 100,000 people.
A number of areas close to the Border also recorded incidence rates among the highest in the State. The worst were Dundalk South, Co Louth (1,982.4); Ballybay-Clones, Co Monaghan (1,674.9); Carrickmacross-Castleblayney, Co Monaghan (1,376.2); Ardee, Co Louth (1,196.8); and Belturbet, Co Cavan (986.2).
The area that was worst affected in the State in the previous 14-day period was New Ross, Co Wexford. It had an incidence rate of 998.6 – more than four times the national incidence rate at the time. During the latest period, its incidence rate has climbed further to 1,092.3 with 303 cases from a population of 27,739.
Many parts of Dublin also continued to suffer from high rates. The worst hit area was Tallaght Central, where there were 523 cases out of a population of 43,215, giving it an incidence rate of 1,210.2.
The picture was not much better in neighbouring Firhouse-Bohernabreena, where there were 405 confirmed cases from a population of 34,202. That gave it an incidence rate of 1,184.1.
Two other areas in the south of the county with high rates were Rathfarnham-Templeogue (1,133.4), and Kimmage-Rathmines (1,160). In north Dublin, Howth-Malahide was the worst hit area, with an incidence rate of 999.3.
Elsewhere , Tramore-Waterford City West continued to struggle, with 226 cases from a population of 22,372, giving it an incidence rate of 1,010.2. Tramore GP Dr Austin Byrne has traced the spike in cases in the area back to “several events” that occurred indoors in the town over Christmas week.
One area which suffered a spike in cases since the previous 14-day period was Cahir, Co Tipperary. The region had less than five cases recorded in the period between December 15th and 28th. However, the latest data shows there were 57 cases in Cahir between December 22nd and January 4th from a population of 14,717, giving it an incidence rate of 387.3 per 100,000 people.
