The 14-day incidence rate of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Waterford is continuing to fall.
The rate per 100,000 population was as high as 98.1 this week, it has now dropped to 86.9.
It's expected to fall further in Waterford in the coming days.
The National Public Health Emergency Team says people are justifying having gatherings in the home for certain special occasions.
Communions, leaving cert parties, weddings and funerals are being pinned as the reason the virus spiralled out of control in Donegal.
The county will be moved to level three tonight in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19. Donegal now has the highest incidence rate in the country, it's now 148.2.
The ESRI says people are still adhering to Covid-19 guidelines despite the increase in cases.
In a letter to the government, the acting Chief Medical Officer says that there needs to be a 'wholehearted widespread collective buy-in' if the restrictions are to be effective.
Dr Ronan Glynn also wrote that contact tracing could be stepped up.
Behaviour expert with the ESRI, Dr Peter Lunn says the spike in cases isn't a result of non-compliance:
"There's no evidence at all that the current spike in cases is actually caused by people not following the guidelines.
"The evidence would suggest simply that it's being caused by us going about our social life, by more social interaction and congregation.
"The guidelines are being made more strict [in Donegal] to try to reduce that level of congregation but there's no evidence that the virus is actually being spread by non-compliance.
"It's just being spread by the fact that we lifted the restrictions and people are going about more of their social life."
