New figures have revealed current Covid-19 hotspots across the country as one in three people undergoing a PCR test get a positive result.
imerick, Laois, Louth, Galway, Westmeath, Clare, Kerry, Cork and Kildare have the highest incidence rates of the virus.
Fares are also high in Longford, Leitrim, Wicklow, Roscommon, Tipperary, Mayo and Dublin.
Incidence rates are lowest in Carlow, followed by Wexford, Waterford, Monaghan and Offaly.
The spread, based on PCR testing, does not include people who learned they have the virus after home antigen testing or many others who had unconfirmed Covid.
A weekly report from the Health Protection Surveillance Center showed that one in three people who took a PCR test tested positive last week — 14,983, a 32 percent increase.
A total of 20,834 people registered a positive home antigen test, an increase of 23.3 percent.
There are predictions that the summer Covid wave could peak next week.
Yesterday there were 904 Covid patients in hospital, two fewer than Wednesday. Of these, 36 were in intensive care, a decrease.
The highest number of new cases last week was in the 35-44 age group, accounting for more than a fifth of the reported infections.
Hospitals experienced 25 outbreaks last week, an increase of one. In nursing homes, outbreaks fell from 23 to 21.
Residential facilities were the most affected, with 36 virus outbreaks.
Flu is circulating, but at very low levels, with 31 sporadic confirmed cases between late May and early July.
However, levels of the respiratory syncytial virus, which mainly affects children, are higher than last year around this time.
Meanwhile, the rise in unknown hepatitis in children has slowed, with the latest figures showing 17 possible cases, up from 14 last week.
Management of the disease was brought under control early this year after one death and two liver transplants.
There have been 44 confirmed cases of monkeypox so far this year, including seven last week, which is significantly lower than the week before.
So far, seven people have been hospitalized.
All the cases here so far have been in men ages 19 to 65, 40 of whom identified as gay or bisexual.
As the number of monkey pox cases continues to rise worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it plans to reassess whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
At the end of last month, the WHO emergency committee decided that the outbreak did not meet the criteria for an emergency.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has asked the commission to reconsider, based on the latest data. He said he will convene a committee meeting during the week of July 18.
dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus added that testing remains a challenge, and it is very likely that a significant number of cases will not be picked up.
Europe is the current epicenter of the outbreak, registering more than 80 percent of cases worldwide. The WHO chief said the spread of the virus is being closely monitored.