Covid-19 back with a bang in Laois as cases spiral official PCR test show

Covid-19 has returned with a vengeance in Laois with the latest figures confirming that there have been more than 1,800 cases of the virus in the county in the past two weeks.

The latest official 14 day figures show that there have been 1,807 confirmed cases of the virus in the county up to and including Sunday, March 27.

The rate of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Laois in the past fortnight has surged to 2,133.50 per 100k.

There were 96 cases of Covid-19 reported in Laois on Sunday, March 27.

The figures put Laois as having the seventh highest infection rate in Ireland. Offaly has the second highest rate behind Sligo.

These latest infection rates for Laois and other counties are only based on PCR test results and not antigen test figures.

The sharp and rapid rise in cases is confirmed when the March 27 figures are compared with the two weeks to March 22 when there were 1,545 confirmed cases.

This gave a rate of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Laois over the past 14 days of  1,824.1.

This is more than double the rate of infection recorded on March 9 when it was 871.3 per 100 k.

The rate of infection per population peaked during the Omicron phase at a massive 4,700 per 100k on January 31.

It had been falling since until March 9 when cases  began to rise again rapidly.

The total official number of cases in Laois  is 23,752.  

The official figures show that the total number of Covid-19 confirmed cases  in Laois have increased by 3,000 since the start of March. There were just over 21,800 officially recorded cases at the start of the month.

The figures for each Local Electoral Area in Laois only run to March 14.

In the first two weeks in March there were 403 positive PCR tests in the Portlaoise area with 432 confirmed in the Portarington Graigucullen Municipal District. The Borris-in-Ossory Mountmellick District returned 284 cases.