There are now six confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in Ireland with top experts warning it will soon be the dominant variant in the world.
Four of the analysed cases are in Co Meath, one is in Dublin and another in Co Longford.
And hospitals will be under real pressure in December and January as a result of Covid-19, the head of the Health Service Executive has said.
Chief executive Paul Reid has urged people to get the booster vaccine, with walk-in centres across the country open this weekend.
He wrote on Twitter: "In December & January we know our hospitals will be under real pressure with currently 481 Covid patients and 113 in ICU.
"We can all help to make this better by taking up the booster vaccine when offered.
"This weekend many locations open for walk-ins for specified groups."
There were 18 walk-in vaccination centres open across the country on Saturday, with many experiencing long queues.
Here's all you need to know about the Omicron variant?
I'm vaccinated, can I be infected?
Early data suggests that the Omicron variant can evade some of the protection against infection offered by Covid-19 vaccines.
Data from Pfizer and BioNTech however, suggests boosters, may hold up better.
Many experts also think two doses of a vaccine will protect against severe illness, even against Omicron.
Speaking on Friday, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said: “I am concerned about the Omicron variant and in terms of the high volume that may emerge here post Christmas or you know, maybe in the next couple of weeks.
“Its doubling time seems to be shorter and certainly it seems to have an advantage over Delta.
“I’m concerned but I’m also hopeful because as I said 12 months on, I’m just after getting a booster vaccine that illustrates the capacity of science and our system to respond to the threats of this pandemic
“I think 2022 gives us hope as well but in the interim, we have a very serious variant and I’m reading what’s happening in Scotland and the UK, they’re estimating that it will take over Delta and that it is more infectious than the Delta variant.
“That is something we have to be worried about.”
I recently had Covid, can I get it again?
Sadly, the Omicron variant seems to be more likely to reinfect people even if they have already had another variant in recent months.
“We find evidence of increased reinfection risk associated with emergence of the Omicron variant, suggesting evasion of immunity from prior infection,” according to study author Juliet Pulliam, PhD, who directs the South African DSI-NRF Centre for Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis at Stellenbosch University.
Data on this remains at its early stages however.
What is the risk in Ireland?
At the moment, as mentioned above, there is only six cases of Omicron confirmed in Ireland - four of the analysed cases are in Co Meath, one is in Dublin and another in Co Longford.
There is a widespread expectation however that it will become more widespread and even dominant.
What happens next worldwide?
It is expected that the Omicron variant will soon become the dominant variant in Europe and eventually worldwide.
Scottish PM Nicola Sturgeon said: "We expect it to overtake delta within days, not weeks."
How serious is this strain?
This is where there is hope, scientists are hopeful that the strain is less severe and could lead to the pandemic ending even sooner.
Chief Medical Advisor to the President of United States Anthony Fauci said this weekend: "It's too early to be able to determine the precise severity of disease but inklings that we are getting, and we must remember these are still in the form of anecdotal ... but it appears that with the cases that are seen, we are not seeing a very severe profile of disease.
"In fact, it might be and I underscore might be, less severe as shown by the ratio of hospitalisations per number of new cases."
DCU's Professor Christine Loscher said on Thursday: "The other piece of information is that it looks like it probably is more transmissible than Delta, but that is just looking at the data coming from South Africa.
"We also need to keep in mind that the data from South Africa is it's behaviour in a largely unvaccinated population and we don't know quite yet how it's going to behave in a highly vaccinated population like Ireland.
"Although we are looking at reinfection of those who had a different Covid infection and also breakthrough infections with vaccines."
Will it mean more restrictions in Ireland?
When asked about further restrictions given his comments that the Omicron variant is likely more transmissible than the Delta variant, he said: “Look we have a series of restrictions in place now to the ninth of January, that was agreed by Government following advice from NPHET.
“One can never rule out anything, the honest answer is one can never rule out anything in relation to Covid-19 because there are many twists and turns.
“But what I think is important is that we adhere to the guidelines that are in place and the restrictions that have been brought into play and that in our own personal and collective behaviour we take care, that is key."
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