The head of the HSE says Covid-19 restrictions are working as there have been further improvements in the numbers of people in hospital with the virus.
Paul Reid says there are 279 patients with the virus in hospitals nationwide, 37 of whom are being treated in Intensive Care Units.
At University Hospital Waterford there were five patients with the virus and four suspected cases on site at 8pm last night, according to HSE figures, none of those patients were being treated in ICU.
The reduction comes as the national 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 people has fallen to 196.4, reducing from 202 on Thursday.
In Waterford the incidence rate is currently 179.
Yesterday evening, 499 additional cases of the virus were recorded in the Republic - fewer than five in Waterford - with eight new deaths, while Northern Ireland also reported eight deaths and an additional 595 cases.
Public health expert, Professor Gerry Kileen from University College Cork, insists some level of restrictions must be maintained after the December 1st Level 5 end-date.
"There's no point doing these things unless you can sustain the gains.
"The only way to sustain the gains is to take it donw to such low levels that you can really throw the kitchen sink at a number of outbreaks that are small enough to investigate right down to the last contact and join them up and contain them."
According to the Department of Health, 9,351 cases of the virus were recorded in the Republic between October 23rd and Novermber 5th, with the majority of those cases reported in Dublin (2,709) and Cork (1,308).
The 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 is now below 300 in every county, with Donegal maintaining the highest rate with 299. Leitrim has the lowest rate with 31.2, recording just ten additional cases in the two-week period ending November 5th.
