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The centre of Galway city has the highest rate of Covid-19 in the State , according to latest official figures.
The 14-day incidence rate in the city is three-and-a-half times the national average. It is also more than 27 times worse than the area of the country with the lowest rate , Killaloe, in Co Clare, according to official local electoral area statistics released on Thursday night .
The 14-day rate per 100,000 population is seen as a useful measure of how the virus is spreading, and the Government tracks it across the country’s 166 local electoral areas.
The 14-day rate across the Republic is 269.3 per 100,000 population. According to the statistics published on Thursday, the rate nationally is continuing to decline from 316 last week, which was down from 455 the previous week.
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But updated figures on the Government's data hub show the Covid-19 incidence rate in central Galway city at 951.2 per 100,000 population. Galway East has the fourth highest level in the State at 579.1.
On Monday public health officials said there were outbreaks in the city among third-level students despite colleges being largely closed. Mixing between households was “definitely” a factor in many of the outbreaks, officials said.
Dublin
The second and third worst hit areas in the State are both in Dublin. Ballymun/Finglas has a rate of 819.9 while Blanchardstown/Mulhuddart has a rate of 606.1. The rate is continuing to rise in Ballymun and Finglas, up from 736.2 last week.
The fresh figures suggest that five of the 10 worst affected areas countrywide for the spread of the virus are in the capital. These areas are Tallaght South at 518.8, Ballyfermot-Drimnagh at 494.9 and Artane-Whitehall at 478.9. The figures show the incidence rate is six times higher in the worst hit area of the capital (Ballymun and Finglas) compared to the best performing area (Blackrock). In Dublin, the areas with the lowest rates are Blackrock (133.4), Dún Laoghaire (134.5), Pembroke (169.3)and Glencullen/Sandyford (169.3).
The area with the fifth highest rate in the State is Tullamore, Co Offaly (538.4) with other high areas including Enniscorthy, Co Wexford (506.4) and Monaghan (497.9).
On the other end of the table, Killaloe in Co Clare (34.8) has the lowest rate in the country – with rates eight times lower than the national average. Kenmare in Co Kerry (35.9) and Newcastle West in Co Limerick (47.4) make up the best performing areas against the spread of the virus, according to the figures.