A total of 19,290 new Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Ireland on Tuesday, while 1,062 people are currently being treated with the virus in hospital.
Of those who are hospitalised with Covid, 92 are being treated in ICUs around the country.
The latest figures were released by the Department of Health on Tuesday evening.
The number of positive cases is slightly lower than Monday's figures which saw 23,909 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 1,063 patients hospitalised, and 89 in ICU.
However, speaking to RTE on Tuesday, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said that the Omicron wave of Covid probably still hasn’t peaked.
But he said the data currently suggests that the Omicron variant is “less severe” and indicated that the current lifting of Covid restrictions will happen on a phased basis through February.
Mr Varadkar said: “I think there is ground for cautious optimism certainly in the immediate term.
“I think it’s fairly clear now that Omicron is less severe than previous strains of the virus.
“It's not yet time to drop our guard, it is still unfolding and probably hasn’t peaked.
“We hope it will peak and expect it will peak through the course of January and that would then put us in a position to ease restrictions in February but this is still unfolding and it’s too early for that yet.
“I think it would have to be phased. I think that’s the approach to easing restrictions throughout the pandemic and I certainly wouldn’t do it in one fast swoop, I’d phase it over a period of time.”
Cabinet are set to meet on Wednesday as they await updated advice from Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, on cutting back on the isolation period for close contacts who have received their booster shot.
