There have been 40 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland.
23 males and 17 females have been diagnosed with the virus.
25 of the cases are in the east of the country, nine in the west, and six in the south.
It brings the total number of confirmed cases here to 169.
It comes as the Government has asked pubs to close temporarily from tonight.
All pubs & bars in Ireland will close tonight until 29th March. Difficult day for staff & businesses but right thing to do. Huge sacrifice being made by many who work in this sector so please let this be a sign to all about how seriously we must take this #CoronaVirus #COVID19
— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) March 15, 2020
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health said: "In regard to upcoming St Patrick's Day celebrations, the Government is calling on all members of the public not to organise or participate in any parties in private house or other venues which would put other peoples lives at risk.
"Everyone is asked to reduce their social contact over this time period. House parties/ COVID parties carry the same risks as being in a pub/club, therefore people should not organise or attend them.
"Now is the time for action and to heed the public health advise we will continue to provide."
Meanwhile, the Government is also calling on any Irish tourists in Spain to return home by midnight on Thursday amid a rising number of cases and a partial lockdown in the country.
Ryanair and Aer Lingus are now waiving booking and seat fees for anyone who wants to change flights, and they are allocating bigger planes to impacted routes.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney said: "My Spanish Foreign Affairs and Transport counterparts have assured me that Spanish airports remain open and the country is not bringing about a flight ban.
"They further assure me that Spanish airspace remains open for Irish airlines to bring citizens home.
"I reaffirmed Ireland’s solidarity with Spain at this difficult time and thanked their frontline authorities for dealing with this unprecedented challenge.”
