New Ross in Co Wexford has become the local electoral area (LEA) with the highest incidence of Covid-19 in the Republic.
According to the latest data from the HSE Health Intelligence Unit, New Ross now has a 14-day incidence rate of 659.7 cases per 100,000, surpassing Carndonagh in Co Donegal, which in recent weeks had the highest infection rate.
Also in Donegal, Buncrana has the third-highest rate in the country, with 117 cases among the 22,336-strong population, giving a rate of 523.1.
Here in Waterford, the Waterford City South Local Electorate Area recorded the highest incidence rate in the county at 173.5 per 100,000 of the population and 39 cases from December 8th to December 21st.
Meanwhile Tramore and Waterford City West had the lowest incidence rate per 100,000 at 53.6. 12 cases of Covid were recorded there over the same period.
Nine LEAs reported zero cases per 100,000, with Clare, Roscommon and Leitrim each reporting two such areas. Cahir in Co Tipperary, Belmullet in Co Mayo and Carrickmacross-Castleblayney in Co Monaghan also have a rate of zero.
The south-east of the country has seen a rapid increase in the transmission of the virus, with areas of Kilkenny, Laois, Dublin and Louth all recording large increases in their incidence rates.
On a county-by-county basis, today's figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) show Donegal has maintained the highest incidence rate, with 516 new cases in the past two weeks giving the northern county a rate of 324.1 cases per 100,000, followed by Louth and now Wexford, both on 291.
At the bottom end of the scale, Leitrim remains the county with the lowest rate, along with Clare and Roscommon, however each county has reported increases in their rates following 14, 57 and 37 new cases in the past two weeks respectively.
Dublin had the highest number of new cases in that same period, with 2,687, before Cork (535), Donegal (516) and Limerick (488).
Ireland's national 14-day incidence rate is now 166, giving us the fastest increasing rate in Europe according to chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan.
