Covid-19: Galway city records highest incidence rate for third week in a row

Search the data: How has coronavirus been spreading in your local area?

Galway city has recorded the highest incidence rate of Covid-19 infection for the third week in a row, according to latest published data.

It has showed a 14-day incidence rate of 767.7, approaching four times the national average of 201.

Infection figures are published by the Government every week with the latest showing Galway city remains top.

Hospital Report

Last week that dubious honour was blamed on an outbreak among third-level students even though the local university, NUI Galway, is closed.

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The second-worst area, where the incidence rate has worsened, is Limerick city east, with cases rising from 546 per 100,000 to 608 since late February.

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.

In total, there are 64 local electoral areas throughout the country recording infection rates above the national average, and 101 below. Nenagh, Co Tipperary, has exactly the average figure of 201.2.

There was some promising news for the Ballymun-Finglas local authority area. Although latest figures put it at 523.5 per 100,000 people, more than twice the national average, that moves it from second worst to fourth. Last week it recorded a rate of 798.

The remaining top 10 highest areas of infection are Limerick city east (with 608.3 per 100,000); Longford (579.6); Birr, Co Offaly (498.5); Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart in west Dublin (461.7); Tullamore, Co Offaly (459.5); Moate, Co Westmeath (450); Donegal (426.5); and Dublin's north inner city (415).

That means that the capital, where there is arguably more interaction between people on account of population density, has three electoral areas in the top 10 worst infections spots.

On the very other end of the scale lies Listowel, Co Kerry, which has recorded just 20.9 cases per 100,000 over the two week period.

Infections levels have also been found to be comparatively low in Skibbereen-west, Co Cork (26.4); Sligo-Drumcliff (33.9); Ennistimon, Co Clare (36.6); and Killarney, Co Kerry (37.2).

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher is Crime and Security Correspondent of The Irish Times