A total of 429 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Ireland, while four more deaths have been confirmed.
It brings the number of infections here to 69,473 since the pandemic began.
The latest figures were released by the Department of Health this evening.
Dublin is once again the hardest-hit area, with 173 new cases. This is followed by Cork, with 44.
Donegal, with 26, Louth with 22 and Kildare with 21 are the other areas with a noticeable increase today.
Speaking on today's figures, Dr Tony Holohan said: “In our objective to use a six-week period to drive down COVID-19 infection in the community, our progress has stalled in the last week.
“We now have two weeks to get back on track. Drive down the disease by limiting the number of daily contacts you have. Work from home, stay at home and follow public health advice to get us to a reproduction number below 0.5 by December 1.”
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, added: “For 3 weeks we saw case numbers declining at a rate of 5 -7% per day and a reproduction number as low as 0.6. We are aware that case numbers have now stopped declining and as a consequence the reproduction number has increased to an estimated 0.7- 0.9.
"The data strongly suggests that a small, recent increase in the level of social contacts has led to the increase in reproduction number we see now. A small additional effort to reduce our contacts will make a big difference to reduce disease incidence before December 1.”
It comes after Taoiseach Micheal Martin warned party colleagues that “difficult decisions” will have to be taken ahead of Level Five restrictions lifting on December 1.
Mr Martin told a parliamentary party meeting that there will be a Covid-19 debate in the Dáil next week to discuss the exit strategy out of lockdown.
A source said that, according to Mr Martin, the plan to exit Level Five is going ahead as people needed to have a “wholesome Christmas.”
However, it’s understood he said the hospitality sector could be a problem.
But a party source said Mr Martin appeared to agree that there should be no differentiation between premises that serve food.
Sources said that TDs Marc McSharry and Barry Cowen said the hospitality and pubs sector should be allowed to reopen and that they needed “adequate notice” so they could prepare.
The source added: “He did not rule anything out about pubs.”
