Kevin Galvin
80% of the population have finally received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine - three weeks after the initial target.
Latest figures from the HSE show more than 5.3 million shots have been given out, with two-thirds of people being fully vaccinated.
More than 65% of vaccines administered have been Pfizer Bio-N-Tech, while 22% are AstraZeneca.
Four of the five South-East counties rank in the bottom five in the country for their 7 day incidence - with Wexford, Kilkenny, Waterford and Tipperary all near the bottom of the list published by the HPSC.
However Carlow has risen up the list to 10th, showing there are a proportionally higher amount of new cases in the Dolmen county in the last seven days.
The positivity rate also shows that Carlow has had the highest positivity rate from swab centres in the region, at 7.8%
Tipperary has a 6.8% rate, with three South-East counties in the bottom four by positivity rates by swab centres - Kilkenny has a 6.2% rate, Wexford 5.4% and Waterford the lowest on just 5%.
It's as the five-day moving average of Covid-19 cases has risen by 160 per cent in the past two weeks.
It has jumped from 471 to 1,223 - with almost 1,400 cases reported yesterday.
But indoor dining will reopen on Monday, for people who are fully vaccinated, recently recovered from Covid, and their children.
