The Republic's rate has increased to 31.6, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
It comes as 231 new cases of the virus were confirmed in the State today in the highest number of infections recorded in a day since May.
Just ten countries in Europe now have a higher incidence rate of the virus among their populations than the Republic, according to the data which is based upon the number of cases confirmed in a two-week period.
Ireland’s rate is now higher than both the UK and Sweden, whose approaches to managing the virus have come under fire at various points of the pandemic.
| Country: | 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 on September 5th: |
| Ireland | 31.6 |
| Italy | 29.1 |
| UK | 28.6 |
| Greece | 28.6 |
| Poland | 25.1 |
| Sweden | 24.1 |
| Hungary | 23.4 |
| Germany | 20.4 |
| Slovakia | 19.7 |
Ireland’s rate is also higher than each of the countries on its “green list” from which travellers do not have to complete 14 days of quarantine upon arriving in the Republic, including Greece, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia.
Incidence rates across Europe had been increasing for 45 days as of September 2nd, according to the ECDC.
Ten countries across the continent currently have a higher incidence rate of the virus than the Republic, including Spain, France and Belgium.
| Country: | 14-day cumulative number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 on September 5th: |
| Spain | 240.6 |
| France | 111.6 |
| Croatia | 94.1 |
| Malta | 88.7 |
| Romania | 83.6 |
| Czechia | 53.5 |
| Belgium | 49.1 |
| Austria | 45.0 |
| Netherlands | 44.0 |
| Portugal | 41.3 |
It comes as testing has also been ramped up in the Republic, with the HSE delivering the highest number of test results in a single day since the pandemic started here earlier this week.
Test results were issued to over 14,000 people on Thursday, as close to 63,700 people received results last week overall. This number is still below the health system’s stated capacity of 100,000.
Two new testing centres have opened in Dublin and will be able to swab up to 200 people a day combined as cases have risen.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid said more people are being referred for testing by their GPs: “Certainly week-on-week we’ve seen an increase in our GP referrals, and last week was up over 15 per cent, so we are seeing an increase in cases coming forward from referrals, along with the serial testing that we’re doing.”
