Ireland has recorded another 1,620 new cases of Covid-19.
Tragically, 12 further people have tragically lost their lives.
The latest figures were released during a media briefing with the National Public Health Emergency Team this afternoon.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and his group of medial experts were speaking to the press for the first time since Ireland began its third lockdown.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin plunged the country back into Level Five after advice from the team, which is becoming increasingly concerned with spiraling case and hospital numbers.
The experts are also worried about the new UK and South African variants of the virus, the former of which has already been confirmed in the Republic.
Speaking to the nation on Wednesday, Mr Martin said: "Just eight days ago, I stood here and explained why we needed to introduce a range of strict new controls in the effort to curb this latest wave of Covid infections.
"I explained that while we didn’t, at that stage, have evidence that the new, more virulent strain of Covid was in our country, the safest and most responsible thing to do was to proceed on the assumption that it was already here.
"Unfortunately, that fear proved to be correct."
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