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Covid-19: Republic's case rates highest near Derry border

© David Dixon/CC Geograph Bridgend on the Irish border© David Dixon/CC Geograph
The Buncrana and Carndonagh areas are across the Irish border from Derry

Two of the top three areas for Covid-19 rates in the Republic of Ireland are in County Donegal near the border with Londonderry.

A new breakdown of coronavirus cases in each local electoral ward shows that the Buncrana area has the highest infection rate.

It has a 14-day incidence rate of 608.1 per 100,000.

The neighbouring Carndonagh area has the third highest rate in Ireland, with an infection rate at 489.3 per 100,000.

The second highest rate is in Dungarvan, County Waterford, with 600.1 cases.

The Republic of Ireland has an national incidence rate of 107 per 100,000.

Cross-border rates among island's highest

Derry has some of Northern Ireland's highest Covid-19 rates.

Among council areas, the Derry and Strabane area has the highest seven-day incidence rate, with 298.8 cases per 100,000, while the BT48 postcode, which takes in the Cityside area of Derry, has the third highest rate in Northern Ireland by postal area.

The BT47 postcode, which takes in the Waterside area, has the sixth highest.

The postal area with the highest seven-day rate in Northern Ireland was the BT31 area, which takes in an area of south Down around Castlewellan (708 cases per 100,000).

Northern Ireland has a national rate of 85 cases per 100,000.

Reuters Medical staff are seen testing people at a coronavirus test centre in the car park of a theme park in ChessingtonReuters
Buncrana's Covid-19 rate is nearly six times higher than the national average

In the Republic of Ireland, a number of restrictions have been lifted, although others remain in place.

Indoor hospitality had been due to reopen on 5 July, but this has been pushed back amid concerns over the Delta variant.

The Irish government has also said that when it does reopen, only those who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid will be able to eat or drink indoors.

In Northern Ireland, indoor hospitality reopened on 24 May, with restrictions in place on the number of people and households able to meet.

On Friday, Northern Ireland recorded its first coronavirus-related death in three weeks, bringing the total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 to 2,156.

A further 339 people tested positive for the virus, meaning a total of 127,787 people in Northern Ireland have had a confirmed diagnosis of the virus since the pandemic began.

In the Republic of Ireland, no further deaths were reported on Friday, with the number of deaths remaining at 5,000, and a further 512 people testing positive.

It means a total of 273,296 people in the Republic of Ireland have had a confirmed diagnosis of the virus since the pandemic began.