Coronavirus infection levels remain high across all of Ireland, with counties Tyrone, Waterford, Kerry, Armagh and Longford among the worst affected regions.
The most Covid-infected area on the island is Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, with a 14-day incidence rate of 1,784 cases per 100,000 people. This is down from last week when the area reported 2,297 cases per 100,000.
Several other areas in Tyrone have infection rates above 1,000 over the latest two-week period, including the postcodes covering Omagh, Strabane and Castlederg.
Waterford has the worst incidence of Covid in the Republic despite also having the highest rate of vaccination.
Five of the six local electoral areas in the county have a 14-day infection rate of more than 1,000 cases per 100,000, meaning that in the last two weeks one person in 100 has tested positive.
Waterford City South has the highest rate in the State with a 14-day incidence of 1,482 per 100,000, down from 1,673 last week.
Other areas in Waterford with high rates include Lismore (1,222), Waterford City East (1,209), Portlaw-Kilmacthomas (1,045) and Tramore-Waterford City West (1,032).
Some 96.6 per cent of people over the age of 12 and 99.5 per cent of people over the age of 18 are fully vaccinated in the county, according to the latest figures on vaccination produced by the Health Service Executive.
Kerry also has a high caseload, with Castleisland (1,289), Kenmare (1,129) and Tralee (1,129) all with rates above 1,000.
The second-highest rate in the Republic is in Longford town at 1,446 per 100,000. Neighbouring Granard has a rate of 1,106 per 100,000.
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.
Other local authority areas with 14-day rates above 1,000 per 100,000 are Cahir (1,182) and Nenagh (1,067) in Co Tipperary, Carrick-on-Shannon (1,056) and Manorhamilton (1,026) in Co Leitrim, Graiguecullen-Portarlington (1,043) in Co Laois, Drogheda (1,102) in Co Louth, Ashbourne (1,001) in Co Meath, Carndonagh (1,167) in Co Donegal, Arklow (1,138) in Co Wicklow and Kanturk (1,243) in Co Cork.
Ongar has the highest infection rate in Dublin, with 887 cases per 100,000 people. Glencullen-Sandyford has the lowest rate in the capital at 393 per 100,000.
The area with by far the lowest rate of infection on the island is Belmullet, Co Mayo, which recorded a 14-day incidence rate of 95.2 per 100,000.
It had one of the highest rates in the country during the third wave of the disease. Paul Moynagh, professor of immunology at Maynooth University, told The Irish Times that the high prevalence in Belmullet in January generated “significant levels of immunity from natural infection” and that this was likely even an underestimate given that not all infections are detected.
Other places with relatively low virus levels are Thurles (278.9) and Clonmel (292.1) in Co Tipperary and Rosslare in Co Wexford (338.9).
The fresh figures come as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the Covid situation in Ireland is “fragile but stable”.
He warned that he expects daily case numbers to top 4,000 on Friday or Saturday.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland on Friday, Mr Varadkar said high case numbers were a cause of concern, adding that he could not rule out the reintroduction of restrictions.
He said to rule out fresh restrictions would be “reckless”.
