A Westmeath area has the country's 12th highest rate of COVID-19 per population

There has been a massive increase in COVID-19 cases in one area of Westmeath, new figures have revealed.

At 539.3 per 100,000 population, Mullingar electoral area now has the highest rate of the virus per population in the four electoral areas of Westmeath. It is also the highest across the electoral areas in the four midlands counties of Westmeath, Offaly, Laois and Longford.

140 new confirmed cases of the virus were confirmed in the Mullingar electoral area between October 6 and October 19.

It's a significant rise on the 52 new cases in the Mullingar electoral area from the previous fortnight, from September 29 to October 12.

The 14-day rate of COVID-19 of 539.3 per 100,000 in Mullingar is now the 12th highest in the country.

The Kinnegad electoral area has the second highest 14-day rate of the virus in Westmeath.

There were 107 new cases in that area between October 6 and October 19, giving a rate per 100,000 of 493.7.

For the last few weeks, Athlone has had the highest rate of the virus in Westmeath.

This time around, there have been 80 new cases in Athlone during the past fortnight, giving a rate of 352.3 per 100,000, the third highest of the four electoral areas in Westmeath.

Mullingar, Kinnegad and Athlone are all displaying rates of new cases on a population basis above the national average of 279.3 cases per 100,000 during that fortnight.

The fourth electoral area in Westmeath, Moate, is below the national average. Some 40 new cases were reported there during the last fortnight, giving a rate of 216.9 per 100,000.

The figures are released each Thursday and compiled by Department of Health, the Ordnance Survey Ireland, the All-Island Research Observatory, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the Health Service Executive, and the Central Statistics Office.

The full figures for all electoral areas in the country can be viewed here.