An additional 211 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the Republic today, with one new death due to the virus.
Dublin recorded 121 cases, while there were 17 in Louth, 10 in Limerick, eight in Cork, seven in Westmeath, seven in Wicklow, six in Laois, five in Donegal and five in Galway.
The remaining 24 cases were in Carlow, Clare, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, and Waterford.
One hundred of today's confirmed cases were male, while 108 were female. People under 45 accounted for 73 per cent of today's cases.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronan Glynn said: “While we are seeing a continued increase in cases, particularly in Dublin, this is at least partly due to the willingness of people to heed our core messages around knowing the symptoms and coming forward promptly for testing.
"This together with all of the other key behaviours will help to break the chains of transmission in our communities. This weekend, please limit your social contacts, especially visitors to your home. Avoid crowds, keep your distance from others and wear a face covering where appropriate.”
In the North, 88 new cases of the virus were confirmed today, while there was no additional deaths recorded.
The death toll in Northern Ireland stands at 568, while there have been a total of 8,123 cases.
Earlier today, thousands of Leaving Certificate students received Round One offers from the Central Applications Office, with CAO chair, Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh saying college students should consider not going home at weekends as it may allow for the virus to spread.
However, the older demographic has once again become a cause for concern, as the number of infections among older people has almost tripled in recent weeks, according to NPHET.
In the last two weeks, 89 people aged 75 years and over have contracted the disease, more than twice the level in the previous fortnight, epidemiologist Prof Philip Nolan said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
This comes as visitor restrictions are to be tightened at nursing homes in Dublin from Sunday following recommendations from NPHET.
The daily number of cases being recorded in the capital is being monitored closely, with increased restrictions being considered.
