BREAKING: Offaly now has the highest rate of Covid-19 in Ireland

Offaly now has the highest rate of Covid-19 in Ireland according to the latest figures from the National Public Health Emergency Team. 

The county recorded 40 new cases today pushing the 14 Day Incidence Rate up to 409.2 cases per 100,000. That is well above the national average which now stands at 250.2 cases per 100,000. There have been 319 cases in Offaly in the last two weeks. 

TAP TO READ NEXT: Area in Offaly now has third highest rate of Covid-19 in the country

Monaghan has the second highest rate at 386.1 followed by Dublin, 354.5 and Galway at 333.3.

Kerry has by far the lowest rate at just 55.5 cases per 100,000 followed by Kilkenny at 95.7. They are the only two cases with rates per 100,000 for the last 14 days below 100.

As of midnight, Friday, February 19, the HPSC has been notified of 988 confirmed cases of COVID-19. There has now been a total of 214,378 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland. 

Of the cases notified today, 378 in Dublin, 68 in Galway, 61 in Kildare, 47 in Limerick, 45 in Louth and the remaining 389 cases are spread across all other counties.

TAP TO READ NEXT: Number of patients with Covid-19 in Tullamore Hospital increases over last two days

As of 8am today, 719 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 149 are in ICU. 36 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre has today been notified of 26 additional deaths related to COVID-19.

Twenty-four of these deaths occurred in February, one in January and one in October.

The median age of those who died was 81 years and the age range was 58-98 years.

There has been a total of 4,135 COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland.