Dr Tony Holohan has highlighted one county causing concern as he gave his latest update on our Level Five lockdown.
We are now at the halfway point of the restrictions that are due to be lifted on December 1.
And the Chief Medical Officer has said he is "optimistic and hopeful" that he will be in a position to recommend easing the lockdown.
However the decision will not be made until a NPHET meeting on November 26.
Dr Holohan said last night: "I think we need to focus on keeping the path that we're on, we have seen a significant improvement in the disease patterns here.
"We will be giving formal consideration as to where we're at from an epidemiological perspective when the National Public Health Emergency Team meets on this day two weeks' time.
"That's only two weeks. That is when we will be making a formal epidemiological assessment that will be the basis of the advice we will be giving to the Government, through the Minister for Health, as to what the appropriate measures will be on public health grounds from December 1 if a change is warranted at that point in time.
"And we're optimistic and hopeful that will be in a position to recommend that on public health grounds."
But the CMO also sounded a note of caution that there was still work to be done, particularly in Donegal which has seen the rate of coronavirus remain stubbornly high.
He added: "We still have a number of weeks to go between now and the end of the month. Obviously some places are seeing higher levels of transmission. we've seen that we have higher levels in Donegal, even though it has reduced somewhat it has not seen the same level of reduction that the rest of country has experienced.
"There is still time for significant improvement to take place, not just in the country generally but in Donegal."
