According to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office, for the week ending 19th March, the number of weekly cases of Covid 19 reported nationally decreased by 9% from the previous week.

3,174 new cases of the virus were reported in the Republic during that week.

However, Mayo figures showed the most dramatic fall -  with the number of Covid positive cases in the county down 65% compared to the previous week.

That compared to a 63 percent increase in cases of the virus in Laois over the same period.

For the fifth week in a row, Leitrim recorded less than 25 new cases, the second week in a row that Kilkenny and Monaghan recorded less than 25 new cases and the first such week for Mayo and Clare.