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Covid-19 infection rates in Tullamore in Co Offaly have increased again with the town remaining the area worst affected in the State, according to new data.

Statistics published on Thursday by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) shows there were 240 cases confirmed in the midlands town in the two weeks to March 29th, giving it an incidence rate of 823 cases per 100,000 residents. The rate was five times the national average, which stood at 164 on Monday.

Tullamore has topped the poll for the last two weeks, with its rate climbing 56 per cent last week to 754.5 cases per 100,000 people.

The rate in the Offaly town, where a walk-in testing facility has been set up, can be put into context when compared to the area with the second highest rate, Balbriggan in Dublin, had 547 cases per 100,000 of its population.

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Only three other counties had a rate of more than 400: Letterkenny and Buncrana in Co Donegal, with rates of 416 per 100,000 inhabitants, and Ongar in Dublin, which had a rate of 402.

(If you are reading this in the Irish Times app, click here to see the table)

Buncrana’s rate has decreased by its rate by 20 per cent since last week. Roscrea-Templemore in Tipperary has also seen a significant decline, from a rate of 410 last week to 313.4 as of Monday.

The other areas among the worst 10 locations in the country, where per 100,000 rates were more than 340, were Edenderry, Co Offaly (386); Milford, Co Donegal (385); Swords, Co Dublin (378); Palmerstown-Fronthill, Co Dublin (373); and Rush-Lusk, Co Dublin (340).

Many of the areas that saw spikes earlier in the year are fairing significantly better now. Belmullet in Co Mayo, which had the highest rate of the virus in the first few weeks of January is now recorded as having zero cases per 100,000.

There are nine areas that share this honour, down from 14 last week, including Westport, Co Mayo, Connemara North, Co Galway, Lismore in Co Waterford, three areas in Cork, and two places in Kerry.