The local areas in Ireland where Covid-19 cases are skyrocketing as several towns hit by surge

Ireland has been hit by a surge in new Covid-19 cases in recent days in weeks.

A number of factors have combined to result in a sharp rise in infection numbers across virtually every county.

However some local regions have undoubtedly been hit harder than others, and the Government has now released detailed statistics on where the latest hotspots are.

One of the key metrics used by health experts here to identify the scale of an outbreak is the incidence rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 population.

And New Ross in Co Wexford is now leading the country in this statistic, reporting a staggering rate of 998.6.

Members of the Gardai at a Checkpoint on Stephens Green during the Covid 19 Coronavirus pandemic in Dublin's city centre (Collins Photo Agency)

Donegal remains one of the hardest-hit regions in Ireland in the new figures, with a number of LEA's reporting an incidence of more than 500.

Ballybay-Clones in Co Monaghan has also seen cases skyrocket, now reporting a two-week incidence rate of 707.

And as has been the case since the start of the pandemic, Dublin has been hit hard, with multiple regions in the capital seeing an incidence of more than 300.

Here is a selection of some of the highest incidence rates in Local Electoral Areas across the country up to December 28:

Buncrana, Co Donegal - 679.6

Letterkenny, Co Donegal - 527

Milford, Co Donegal - 544.6

Adare-Rathkeale, Co Limerick - 660.4

Ardee, Co Louth - 454.2

New Ross, Co Wexford - 998.6

Ballybay-Clones, Co Monaghan- 707

Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny- 475

Kenmare, Co Kerry - 670.3

Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary - 607

Kimmage-Rathmines, Co Dublin - 424.3

Cork City South East - 448.8

For a full list of the latest rates in each LEA, visit the Government's website HERE.