The Carrickmacross-Castleblayney local electoral area in Co Monaghan has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the State, running at more than twice the national average, new figures show.
Three areas of Co Monaghan account for three of the top 10 most infected communities, according to the latest data on infections in the State’s 166 local electoral divisions.
Between January 19th and February 1st, 235 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Carrickmacross-Castleblayney area, which has a population of 21,436, resulting in a 14-day incidence rate of 1,096.3 cases per 100,000 of population.
Hospital Report
The data is published on the Government's Covid-19 Data Hub every Thursday night. Here, 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 national incidence rate over the fortnight was 455 per 100,000 people, a significant decrease on the 721 per 100,000 reported last week.
Enniscorthy in Co Wexford had the second highest rate of infection, with an incidence rate of 1086.1 for the 14-day period, during which time 296 cases were reported.
Local areas in the Border counties continue to have high infection rates with Monaghan town (1079.5) and and Ballybay-Clones (915.7) in Co Monaghan recording the third and sixth highest incidences.
The Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart local electoral area had the fourth highest rate of infection (1005.5), followed by Castlebar in Co Mayo (930.2).
The seventh highest incidence rate was found in Lucan (852.8) in Dublin, followed by Carlow (834.4) and Waterford City South and Ballymun-Finglas, which both had a rate of 805.3 per 100,000.
The latest figures marks the first time since the new year that Belmullet in Co Mayo was not ranked as having the highest rate of Covid-19 infection. The town has dropped to 16th position, with an incidence rate of 722.2 per 100,000.
Some 91 cases were reported in the locality over the past 14-days, compared to the 253 positive cases diagnosed there in the two-weeks to January 25th.
The incidence rate in Belmullet has fallen sharply since a post-Christmas surge, from 6,031 per 100,000 three weeks ago, 5,555 per 100,000 two weeks ago and 2,007 per 100,000 one week ago.
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the table, Kilrushin in Co Clare had the lowest infection rate with 119.1 cases per 100,000 people, around a quarter of the national rate.
Athlone in Co Roscommon also had a low incidence rate with 120.1 cases per 100,000, followed by Castleisland in Co Kerry at 151.6.
