What is the Covid-19 rate in your local area?

The most up-to-date figures show the national 14-day incidence rate of the virus at 450 cases per 100,000 population.

Covid-19 daily figures remain stubbornly high but new data shows a gradual decline in cases across the country. 

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has restarted publishing data on Covid incidence rates following a hiatus caused by a crippling cyberattack on the HSE's computer systems in May.

The most up-to-date figures show the national 14-day incidence rate of the virus at 450 cases per 100,000 population.

The worst affected county is Monaghan where the 14-day incidence rate is 1,275.5. There have been 783 new cases confirmed in Monaghan in the last fortnight, possibly linked to rapidly rising cases north of the border.

Donegal also continues to see high rates of infection. The 14-day rate is now 1,024.5 per 100,000 population, with 1,631 new cases in the last two weeks.

In Munster, Kerry is the worst hit with an incidence rate of 525.4 and 776 new cases in the last two weeks. 

This is followed by Limerick, with a rate of 443.3 and 864 new cases, then Cork with a rate of 333 and 1,880 new cases over two weeks.

In Clare, there were 408 new cases identified, giving an incidence rate of 343.4 while in Tipperary the rate is now 403.6 with 644 new cases.

Waterford, which was badly affected in previous waves of the virus, has an incidence rate well below the national average at 279.7, with 325 new cases identified in the last fortnight.

Counties with high Covid rates also feature prominently in separate HSE data on hospitals.

This shows there were just 27 adult ICU beds empty on Tuesday and four for children. None of the occupied paediatric beds held Covid patients.

Across the system, there were just 136 general beds open including 20 in Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin and Tallaght.

Ten hospitals including University Hospital Kerry (UHK) did not have any empty beds.

Up to Tuesday, Cork University Hospital had the highest number of Covid-19 patients at 34. Beaumont, Sligo, Galway University Hospital and the Mater each had over 20 Covid patients.

Munster hospitals, University Hospital Kerry and University Hospital Limerick, had 10 cases each. There were three children with Covid in CHI Temple Street and one in CHI Crumlin.

Overall there were 59 Covid patients in ICU and 35 were “invasively ventilated”.

The number of hospital cases remains far below the January peak but shows a steady rise since July and is now back at the April levels.

Every Covid patient has a disproportionate impact on the system, the head of the HSE Paul Reid has warned. There are also new pressures in this wave as the HSE continues with the ‘safe return to health services’ plan for non-Covid treatment.

GPs have warned they are seeing patients now whose condition has worsened because their hospital operation or scan was delayed due to the lockdowns or cancellations during the cyberattack.