A total of 23,909 new Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Ireland on Monday, while 1,063 people with the virus are currently being treated in hospital.
Of those hospitalised with the virus, there were 89 being treated in ICUs around the country.
The number of patients in hospitals with the virus is the highest recorded since February last year and it is also estimated that up to 15,000 healthcare staff are absent due to Covid-19.
The latest figures were released by the Department of Health on Monday evening.
Yesterday’s figures saw 21,384 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 984 patients hospitalised, of which 83 were in ICU.
Speaking about the latest Covid figures, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “Today, we continue to report a very high level of incidence of Covid-19 in the community.
“It is essential for everyone to protect themselves and others from infection. Every small action to limit the spread of this disease is vital, as we continue to experience a large volume of patients in hospital, up a third on this time last week.”
Following the roll-out of Covid vaccines for children aged five to 11, Dr Holohan encouraged parents to discuss getting the jab with their children and to speak to their GP if they had any concerns about vaccinating their children.
“The vaccine programme is now open to all children between 5 -11 years of age and we know that the benefits of vaccinating children far outweigh the risks,” he said.
“Most children will experience a very mild form of this disease, for a small few, they may become severely ill. The Covid-19 vaccines are doing an excellent job of preventing severe illness and disease in those who are fully vaccinated.
“Getting your child vaccinated is a decision between you and your child. I would encourage all parents and guardians to discuss this update to our vaccination programme with your child and ensure that they are aware that vaccination is available to them.
The news comes after days of record Covid-19 case numbers in Ireland, following the arrival of the Omicron variant late last year.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid said on Monday that there is a "continual strain" on the health system, in part due to rising hospital cases but also as a result of significant staff absences due to Covid-19.
He said that it was good news that the proportion of people entering hospital was "significantly down on what it would be in previous waves".
However, he said that despite indications that Omicron causes a less severe illness, "there is no-one in hospital with a mild illness".
"One good positive thing - we're not seeing the same level of patients needing advanced respiratory supports," he told RTE radio.
The HSE boss said that around 14,000 to 15,000 staff are absent due to Covid-19 as they were either testing positive with the virus or were close contacts.
He said that the "pace" of the absences had been a challenge for the HSE.
Following the opening of vaccinations for children aged five to 11, 83,000 have been registered to receive the vaccine, Mr Reid said.
Around 27,000 had received a first dose of the vaccine, he added.
Mr Reid was also asked about media reports that the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) is due to consider mandatory vaccination.
He indicated that he would not personally support such a move.
"I would prefer to be winning people's hearts and minds," he said, referring to Ireland's already high take-up of vaccines.
He also said that the HSE expects that people will be able to register positive antigen tests online from later this week.
