A member of NPHET says we're in for a 'bumpy ride' over the next month and more Covid-19 restrictions are 'possible'.
The seven-day average of new cases has risen by 66 per cent in the past fortnight, and now stands at 1,889.
The number of Covid patients in hospital stands at 437 and 86 are in ICU, the highest in seven months.
Dr Mary Favier says cases have increased in 24 counties over the past week and the hospital situation could worsen.
She says the number of Covid patients in intensive care could double in the next four weeks;
"The hospitalisations reflect infection from two weeks ago, intensive care reflects infection from generally three to four weeks ago so the cases of over two thousand in the last couple of days will really not kick through into our hospital service until two to three to four weeks time."
Monitors
It's costing €4 million to send carbon dioxide monitors to every school in the country, to prevent the spread of Covid.
The Department of Education started delivering 35,000 monitors at the end of August, to check ventilation in classrooms.
Primary schools are getting up to 20 each, and secondary schools are receiving up to 35.
