The Chief Medical Officer has asked people to cut down their contacts and avoid crowds as we enter Christmas week. Yesterday, 527 new cases of Covid-19 were reported, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 78,776.
The Department of Health was also notified of five further coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the overall death toll to 2,154.
Dr Tony Holohan said all key indicators of the disease severity gave rise to persistent, ongoing concern. In a statement, he said Ireland was heading into a week with uniquely risky inter household and intergenerational mixing and he appealed to people across the country to act responsibly.