THERE has been a dramatic reduction in the 14-day incidence of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Clare, according to the latest figures.
A few weeks ago, Clare had the fourth highest 14-day incidence rate of the virus in the country with 303 per 100,000 compared to just 77 in Tipperary and 183 in Limerick.
This rate, which has rocketed from about 70% from September 17 to September 30, was very high and was way above the national average of 279%.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 1,000 for the first time in the county when 1,030 were notified on October 17.
Thirty-three more cases were confirmed a day later bringing the county total to 1,063 on October 18. This overall figure increased to 1,311 on November 1.
As Clare people continue to endure Level Five restrictions, the spread of the virus is slowing in Clare compared to other counties and is now the eighth lowest in the country.
According to figures produced by the Health Surveillance Protection Centre, the 14-day incidence rate is 190% per 100,000, with 226 new cases recorded between October 20 and November 2. This has now fallen below the national average of 228 per 100,000.
This compares to 228% in Limerick where there were 445 new cases and 131% in Tipperary where there were 209 during the same period.
There were 383 new cases in Clare from October 4 to October 7 giving a 14-day incidence of 322. It continued around this level with 387 new cases from October 5 to 18 and 382 cases from October 6 to 19.
This compared to a much lower incidence in Tipperary where there were 174 new cases from October 4 to 17 giving an incidence rate of 109 and this rate has remained very similar in recent days.
The rate was also high in neighbouring Limerick where there were 488 new cases from October 4 to October 17 giving an overall rate of 250 per 100,000.
The Kilrush Electoral Area has the lowest 14-day incidence of Covid-19 in the county.
There were just 28 confirmed cases between October 13 and 26, giving a 14-day incidence of 133 per 100,000.
The Killaloe Electoral Area, which has a population of 20,108, has a low incidence rate of 149% after recording 30 new confirmed cases during this period.
The figures are also relatively low in the Ennistymon Electoral Area with just 35, which translates into a rate of 213% per 100,000
Ennis continues to record the highest incidence rate of 420.6% well above the national average at the time of 307.6% and there were 130 new cases during this period.
The Mid-West Department of Health has urged people to continue adhering to public health guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus.
This includes staying at home if a person feels unwell, avoid crowded places, maintain a two metre social distance, wear a face covering in shops, indoor settings and public transport, hand washing, good respiratory hygiene and reduce social contacts.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.