The Department of Health has confirmed 1,875 further Covid-19 cases in Ireland in the last 24 hours.
Some 326 people are now in hospital with 59 in ICU.
It comes as Minister Eamon Ryan has said that September could see the return of confirmations, communions and 100 per cent public transport.
Speaking on Friday morning, Minister Ryan said that there are still risks around Covid-19 but restrictions will begin to ease in September and October due to the success of the vaccine rollout.
He said: “I think it can be phased, we can do a lot in September but the majority will obviously then happen in October and beyond.
“But there will be immediate measures that we’ll be looking to do.
“Taking heed of the health advice obviously but recognising that we do need to get the country back into some sort of normal life and doing it on a phased basis is the right way.”
Minister Ryan said an immediate measure that he will be looking to ease in September is public transport: “The likes of the return of 100 per cent public transport.
“I’ve signalled that as we come back to school, come back to college, start going back to work that makes sense.”
Another example that the Minister gave was the easing of restrictions on some elements of social life.
He said: “Another example would be the likes of confirmations and communions.
“There’s been a lot of controversy around that.
“Again probably on a phased basis, confirmations first, communions later.”
