Concerns around testing capabilities and the timeframe in achieving 100,000 weekly Covid-19 tests have cast doubt on the loosening of restrictions that have been in place since March.
The latest figures from the Health Service Executive show there are just over 1,000 people in acute hospitals with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19.
The number of new confirmed cases of the virus has risen by less than 5% over seven of the last eight days but hundreds of new cases continue to be announced daily - and more than 1,000 new cases were announced over the weekend.
The total number of deaths linked to Covid-19 currently stands at 1,087. And yesterday the Department of Health confirmed an additional 701 coronavirus cases, bringing the overall