The Government has been given a "stark" Christmas warning as Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations continue to rise.
A Cabinet subcommittee met on Tuesday evening, where they were given a presentation on the likely trajectory of the disease over the Christmas period.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly informed the committee that cases yesterday were as high as at any point during the pandemic, other than the January wave.
And speaking yesterday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan, said he was "increasingly worried" about the current trajectory of the virus.
According to the Irish Times, there was "no talk of reimposing restrictions but a general concern that a peak and rapid fall cannot be assumed".
The peak of the current wave could see cases reach between 2,500 - 5,000 cases per day, with 1,000 in hospital and up to 200 patients in ICU.
In the last fortnight, hospitalisations have increased 41% and ICU numbers have gone up 22%.
However, it's not all doom and gloom coming up to Christmas.
The booster shot campaign already looks to be having a positive impact on the over-80s with the incidence rate plateauing in that age cohort.
The latest Covid-19 case numbers showed another 2,193 cases of Covid-19 with 513 people in hospital, of which 97 were in ICU.
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