The number of people in Kerry getting the Enhanced Illness Benefit continues to rise.
It's one of two COVID-19 welfare payments paid the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the other being the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
7,358 people in the county received one of these payments this week.
The Enhanced Illness Benefit is paid to people medically certified as having coronavirus or who are self-isolating.
There are 1,589 people in Kerry receiving that payment this week, an increase of 71 on last week.
Since being introduced in April, the numbers in Kerry availing of this payment has either risen or stayed the same each week; there's been no reduction in the number.
The other COVID welfare scheme is the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, which is for employees and the self-employed who are fully out of work due to COVID-19.
This week, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection paid out €55 million across the country to 205,500 people, down 11,000 since last week.
In Kerry, 5,769 people are getting the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week; that's down 532 on last week, and represents a drop of 74% from the 22,200 claiming it at the peak on May 5th.
Among them are 213 people who have informed the Department they're returning to work and have closed their payment this week.
