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Dublin now has the highest rate of Covid-19 in the country, becoming the worst affected area for the virus in the lead up to Christmas.
The national 14-day incidence rate for Covid-19 sits at 1,344 cases per 100,000 people, according to new data released. This is an increase from this time last year when the 14-day incidence rate was 122 per 100,000 people.
Dublin has become the focal point of the virus with 12,740 new cases reported in the county over the last seven days. This has brought the incidence rate in Dublin to above average at 1,703 case per 100,000 people.
County Louth has the second-highest incidence rate of the virus, followed by counties Westmeath and Kilkenny.
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Other counties with an above-average incidence rate of the virus include Kildare, Carlow and Cork.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan confirmed on Tuesday that the Omicron variant now accounts for about two-thirds of confirmed cases of Covid-19, while there is a higher level of infection among household close contacts as a result of the new variant.
Dr Holohan advised that over Christmas if one person from a household tests positive prior to an event or gathering, then none of the household should attend.
Cases were highest among the younger population in the 16-34 age group, with one in four people in that group that had taken a PCR test having received a positive result.
The number of cases was particularly high in the 25-34 age group, and also in the 35-44 age group.
Dr Holohan has urged the younger population to reduce their social contacts over the Christmas period.
He acknowledged that young people have made “significant sacrifices in order to protect loved ones and I would like to thank them for that”, adding that about one in six young people are yet to come forward for vaccination, or are not fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Mayo has the lowest rate of the virus in the country, with a 14-day incidence rate of 713 cases per 100,000 people.
Counties Roscommon, Sligo, Cavan, Donegal and Wexford also reported an incidence rate of less than 1,000 per population.
A further 5,279 coronavirus infections were confirmed on Tuesday, with 443 patients hospitalised, of whom 102 were in intensive care.
The report produced by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre is based on confirmed Covid-19 cases notified in Ireland from December 6th up to midnight on December 19th.