NPHET has offered some hope that the Covid situation in Ireland is already improving slightly despite the recent surge in cases.
Ireland has seen a staggering 44,000 new confirmed cases in the last fortnight alone as fears are expressed about hospital capacity in the coming days.
On Thursday alone a total of 6,521 new cases confirmed.
But health experts yesterday signalled that the latest Covid-19 measures implemented over Christmas have already started to have an affect on reducing spread of the virus.
While cases are at an all time high NPHET has pointed to a number of trends that signal the figures may be levelling off.
Most encouraging is the number of people getting tested for the virus may have stopped rising, although the positivity is still around 20%.
Meanwhile the number of close contacts of each person testing positive has fallen sharply, from 4.8 at the start of last week to just 3 now.
Level Five measures were introduced after Christmas as cases continue to spiral across the country.
And even further restrictions were announced this week with all construction to stop and schools to shut until at least January 31.
Meanwhile pubs, restaurants and hundreds of other businesses are set to remain closed until April.
The hammer blow was issued by Tanaiste Leo Varadkar just hours after Ireland was placed under even more strict lockdown measures.
Mr Varadkar said he was advising the "vast majority" of businesses that they would be closed for the next three months.
"We will review the situation on the 30th of January, and make decisions with regard to the 1st of February", he said.
