A further 1,345 Covid-19 cases have been confirmed this evening.
141 people are currently in hospital with Covid-19, 25 of which remain in ICU.
It comes as pubs and restaurants across the country finally opened their doors for indoor dining again from today.
People who are vaccinated or have recovered form Covid-19 in the last six months have been permitted to eat and drink indoors once they provide proof of immunity.
Publicans were left frustrated on Friday after it emerged that public health had requested that the name and number of every customer would be recorded.
But in an email circulated to restaurants and pub owners late last night, the rule was reversed back to the original plan when indoor dining first reopened at Christmas.
In an email from Fáilte Ireland, business owners were told the final regulations now state that contact tracing is “now only required for the lead person at a table and for solo guests.”
Speaking on the decision Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the rules were changed for “practical reasons,.”
Speaking in Kinsale this morning as around 180,000 people went back to work, Mr Martin said businesses had to reopen in a practical way.
He said: “I mean the various government departments with different responsibilities [were] working on these over the period, in collaboration with the sector.
“I think the reason is for practical reasons, to try and facilitate as smooth an opening of the facilities as we possibly can, to do in a practical way.
“Again, trusting the sector and trusting individuals in terms of consumers to approach this sensibly and with some degree of vigilance.”
The Taoiseach warned the public that the Delta variant is “highly transmissible” and said we can “defeat the virus” with a combined approach to “ sensible, precautionary behaviour” and with the roll-out of the vaccination programme.
He said the government’s intention is “not to go back” when asked if indoor dining could be shut again is Covid-19 case numbers spike.
