The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has confirmed 23 further deaths and 921 new cases of Covid-19 in the Republic.
15 of this evening's cases are in Waterford bringing the total number of cases in the county over the past 14 days to 451.
The level of Covid-19 has fallen by at least 20 per cent in every local electoral area in Waterford.
However, Waterford City and its surrounding areas continue to have incidence rates above the national average.
Waterford City South had 117 cases in the two weeks ending on Monday, February 8th to give an incidence rate of 520. That's a drop of a third in a week.
Chair of Nphet’s epidemiological modelling advisory group, Professor Philip Nolan, warned that it could be more than six weeks before the number of Covid-19 cases drops to fewer than 100 a day.
Ireland should be at around 200-400 cases a day heading into March and approaching 100-200 cases a day by the end of March, he said.
In an update on the State’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout on Friday, the HSE’s chief clinical officer said 40,000 second doses will be administered next week.
Dr Colm Henry said the vaccination rollout in nursing homes is “almost complete” and defended its pace.
“We’re dishing it out as quickly as we get it in,” he said.
Meanwhile on Friday, the Health Minister confirmed a list of “high-risk” countries for Covid-19 from which arrivals will shortly face a mandatory 14-day period of quarantine at a designated facility.
Travellers from these countries will quarantine at their own expense, with legislation to be brought before Cabinet next week. However, hotel quarantines have yet to be operationalised in the Republic.
Stephen Donnelly said the National Oversight Group for Variants of Concern and chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan had advised that more stringent restrictions on travel be applied to 20 states in total.
