Those who remain unvaccinated during the months of June and July are at high risk from COVID-19 despite the progress Ireland is making against the virus, Tony Holohan has warned.
The Chief Medical Officer gave the warning in a letter to Government last week in which he said Ireland is in a "positive position".
But he warned of a "key number of uncertainties and risks" from the coronavirus - in particular due to the variants.
The Delta variant that was first reported in India is of particular concern due to uncertainty surrounding its "transmissibility and overall impact".
There were 337 further cases of COVID-19 reported in Ireland yesterday as the number of people in hospital dropped to 89.
Two Dublin testing centres, in Citywest and Cloghran, also opened for appointments for booking a COVID-19 test.
Appointments can be made online within 24 hours of receiving the test.
The latest updates come as pharmacies are expected to begin administering Covid-19 vaccines as soon as this month.
Those over 50 who've yet to receive a jab can receive the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine from chemists.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly expressed his relief on the development to the Seanad yesterday.
He said: “Where I think this is particularly important is in some of the areas that are further from the vaccination centres.
“We’re moving ever closer to meeting our goal of offering vaccinations to everyone in Ireland who wants one.”
