Big slowdown in cases locally in recent days

There has been a significant slowing down in the number of COVID-19 cases in Westmeath and Roscommon in recent days.

In the week ending on midnight Sunday, May 17, the numbers rose by just 13 cases in Westmeath and by ten in Roscommon.

At midnight on Sunday, May 10, there were 643 and 297 confirmed cases in Westmeath and Roscommon respectively.

A week later, those numbers had only risen by 13 in Westmeath and 10 in Roscommon to 656 cases in Westmeath and 307 in Roscommon.

Westmeath, however, continues to have the fourth highest rate of the virus per population in the country.

The Lake County's rate of 739 cases per 100,000 people is behind Cavan at 1050.2, Dublin at 872.7 and Monaghan at 790.1

Roscommon has a rate of 475.6 cases per 100,000 population. It's the ninth highest in the country as of midnight on Sunday.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Roscommon had the lowest rate per population in the country.