Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has said he is “increasingly concerned” the positive trends in Covid-19 case numbers seen in recent weeks has not been maintained.
Wednesday saw 12 more deaths related to Covid-19 recorded in the Republic and an additional 379 cases.
It brings the total number of deaths linked to the virus in the State to 2,006 with 69,058 cases, according to figures from the Department of Health.
There are currently 274 patients in hospital with the virus, with 33 of them in intensive care units.
The positivity rate among people tested for Covid-19 is now at 4 per cent, slightly up from previous days. The World Health Organisation recommends the rate should remain below 5 per cent for at least two weeks before public health measures are relaxed.
More than 75,000 tests have been carried out in the State over the past seven days.
The 14-day incidence rate of the disease is 119.9 cases per 100,000 people. Donegal has the highest county incidence rate at 295.9 cases per 100,000, up slightly from recent days. Wexford has the lowest rate, at 46.1 cases.
In Europe, only Finland and Iceland have lower incidence rates than Ireland, according to the European Centre for Disease Control.
Northern Ireland
The Causeway Coast and Glens council district is the worst hit area in the North, with an incidence rate of 557.3 cases per 100,000 people over the last 14 days.
The next highest rate is in the Mid Ulster area, with 480.1 cases per 100,000.
On Wednesday another 518 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland and eleven more deaths were reported, according to the region's Department of Health.
Trending upwards
With daily case numbers trending slightly upwards in the State in recent days, Dr Holohan warned: “We have two weeks to continue in our efforts to drive down community transmission of this disease as much as possible.
“The lower the incidence the more flexibility the country will have in easing measures”.
Separately, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has warned the Government of a possible “re-seeding” of Covid-19 cases from international travel.
In a letter sent by Nphet to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Dr Holohan also raised concern about the level of Covid-19 in Donegal and increasing cases amongst the elderly.
In relation to travel, Nphet noted the “sharp contrast between the trajectory of the disease and the situation internationally.
It stressed the “importance of protecting the progress the country has achieved through application of Level 5 restrictions and of avoiding a re-seeding of cases through international travel.”
Dr Holohan emphasised “the need to manage effectively the risk of importation, particularly in the context of non-essential travel from areas of elevated incidence in the coming weeks and during the Christmas and New Year period.”
