Little over one in three of Ireland's first 350 coronavirus cases are classified as community transmissions.
Of the 350 cases recorded up until Tuesday at midnight, the government has split them into 'community transmission', 'travel abroad' and 'contact with a confirmed case'.
71 of these are still under investigation although of the 279 investigated cases, 99 are classified as community transmissions.
A further 59 are considered contact with a confirmed case while the other 121 are associated with travel abroad.
Community transmissions are the most worrying for experts as it means the disease has been spread in such a way that a source is unknown.
There are now 26 clusters across the country according to the figures up until Tuesday night.
A cluster is a area where a number of cases have been reported and infections have been spread around within a group.
On Thursday it was announced that there are now 557 cases of coronavirus in Ireland with a third death being confirmed.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health, said: “I would like to extend my condolences to the family and friends of this patient.
“It is too early to see any impact of our social distancing measures.
"This data underscores the importance of younger people to rigorously follow public health advice and social distancing measures.”
Dr Breda Smyth, Director of Public Health Medicine, HSE; “Healthcare workers are at the frontline of this pandemic.
"While it is heartening to see social distancing measures taken seriously across society, this must continue in order to protect the most vulnerable and support our healthcare staff throughout this pandemic.”
