A district in north Waterford has the highest rate of Covid-19 in the country, according to the latest figures.
The Portlaw-Kilmacthomas local electoral area, which borders Tipperary, has a 14-day incidence rate of 2,401 cases per 100,000.
Mullingar in Co Westmeath has the second-highest infection rate at 2,315 cases per 100,000.
Dublin is also among the worst-affected regions, with Donaghmede in the north of the city reporting 2,032 cases per 100,000 – equivalent to about 1 in every 50 people testing positive over a 14-day period.
Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart (2,000), Rush-Lusk (1,970) and Swords (1,871) also have very high infection rates.
All areas of Cork city have rates well over 1,000 – Cork City North West (1,958) and Cork City South West (1,628) have the highest, while neighbouring Cobh (1,844) has seen its infection rate almost double in one month.
The figures are based on the number of new cases in the Republic’s 166 local electoral areas and the North's 80 postcode areas over the most recent two-week period.
Manorhamilton in Co Leitrim has the lowest infection rate (388), with Augher (438), Clogher (542), Adare-Rathkeale (606) and Kenmare (623) the next lowest.
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was “concerned, but also hopeful” about the pandemic amid the emergence of the new Omicron variant.
“We have a new threat now in the form of a new variant. I think just as we overcame Alpha, overcame Delta, we can overcome this wave as well. But we have to behave sensibly, assess it as we get more information and deal with it,” he said on Friday.
He stressed that booster vaccines were a key tool in the fight against Covid-19.
The chief medical officer on Friday urged the public to get the booster jab because, he said, the Omicron variant “will spread more quickly” than Delta.
Dr Tony Holohan also reminded people to stay particularly safe ahead of the Christmas period.
He said he expected the Omicron variant to become dominant, but said it was too early to provide data on when it would happen.
