Comparing coronavirus in Ireland: Where is the virus spreading?

Ireland’s case numbers are rising but compare well to other European countries

A garda performing a random vehicle check in the village of Muff, Co Donegal. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA
A garda performing a random vehicle check in the village of Muff, Co Donegal. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA

Donegal has the highest spread of coronavirus in the Republic, latest figures on the disease show.

The 14-day incidence rate across Ireland was 121.3 in the two weeks up to last Monday, November 16th, according to Government data.

The new breakdown of local electoral areas published on Thursday shows four of the top five worst areas are in Co Donegal. Letterkenny tops the list with a rate of 389, followed by Buncrana, Co Donegal, Listowel, Co Kerry, Carndonagh, Co Donegal and Milford Co Donegal.

The areas with the lowest rate of Covid-19 spread in the 14 days include Rosslare, Co Wexford, Corca Dhuibhne, Co Kerry and Ballinasloe, Co Galway.

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According to the latest data published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, that rate has fallen to 113.7 as of Thursday night, down from 300 on October 27th but significantly higher than a rate of below 3 at the end of June.

The ECDPC figures published daily show the United Kingdom's 14-day rate, per 100,000 population is close to 500 while the rates in Italy and France are close to 800. The rate in Spain is more than 500 while the United States has a 14-day rate of 621 while Australia's rate has fallen to below one.

The ECDPC changed Ireland's colour status to "orange" on Thursday after its weekly update on the data on the infection rates across Europe. Ireland had, like most of the rest of the EU, been at the higher restricted travel status but a reduction in the incidence rate during the Level 5 restrictions has moved it to the lower level.

However, public health officials are still warning that Covid-19 figures are going in the wrong direction. The State's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said on Thursday that recent progress in reducing the spread of coronavirus has stalled, as people have "slipped" in adhering to lockdown restrictions over the last week .

The previous sharp decline in numbers of new cases in the early weeks of Level 5 restrictions had plateaued, meaning the country had effectively “lost a week,” Dr Holohan said.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) reported concerns that people were socialising more as the six-week lockdown period wore on, and others were unnecessarily working from the office.