A further 3,893 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the State, along with 43 deaths of those with the disease over the past week.
The deaths notified on Wednesday bring the total recorded during the pandemic to 5,652.
As of this morning, there were 611 Covid-19 patients hospitalised, with 132 being treated in intensive care units.
The country's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said around one in seven adults in Ireland during the last week had flu-like, cold-like or Covid-like symptoms.
"The most important action you can take if you experience any symptoms of Covid-19 is to self-isolate immediately," he said.
"This means staying indoors and avoiding contact with other people, including, in so far as possible, those you live with. Arrange to take a PCR test, not an antigen test, and continue to self-isolate while you wait for your test and the results.
"I understand this is difficult, but in order to avoid passing Covid-19 or other respiratory illnesses on to your friends, family or work colleagues, rapidly self-isolating as soon as symptoms begin is the most important thing you can do.
"It’s also important to remember you still need to isolate for as long as you're symptomatic, and until 48 hours after your symptoms have settled, even if your PCR did not detect Covid-19.”
Testing capacity
The chief medical officer's advice comes at a time when testing capacity in the State is under severe pressure.
It is understood that the Government will not impose any further restrictions this week, as health officials and Cabinet Ministers wait until at least the end of next week before deciding if new measures are needed.
Meanwhile on Wednesday, the country’s deputy chief medical officer said schools are not as safe now as they were a number of months ago, amid soaring rates of the virus.
“We’ve never said that schools are a safe environment, we’ve said they’re a lower-risk environment,” Dr Ronan Glynn, a member of the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), added.
