The HSE has built it's testing capacity to up to 126,000 tests per week.
Over 99,000 tests were completed over the course of the last seven days.
It comes as hospitals say they're anxious for what lies ahead, with hospitals in Letterkenny, Cavan and Cork said to be under particular pressure.
HSE CEO Paul Reid says it's not extra capacity that will drive case numbers down.
He said: "We really have to put a real urgency behind our big line of defence that is the public - that's the one that can turn this trend around.
"More testing capacity, more ICU beds, more hospital beds doesn't trend around - public engagement, public support, public compliance with the measure is what turns it around."
Meanwhile, the Tánaiste said earlier today that an army of contact tracers bigger than the Irish army would be needed to get through the current backlog.
It comes as the contact tracing system has been criticised in the Dáil as part of the reason enhanced restrictions are needed.
