Dr Tony Holohan has said that fully vaccinated people can enjoy socialising and meeting other people who have received the jab too, however, if anyone isn't fully vaccinated, they're being asked to still socialise outdoors.
Earlier this evening, the Department of Health confirmed 1,071 new cases of the disease with 101 people in hospital. Of these patients, 20 are in ICU.
The Delta variant has already lead to a significant spike in cases with the spread of Covid now in a race against the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin confirmed that Ministers will meet on Wednesday to discuss the future of indoor hospitality after he has a meeting with Dr Tony Holohan and NPHET.
Speaking about the latest cases, Dr Holohan said: “While we continue to enjoy the good weather, we are unfortunately also continuing to see a rise in incidence of disease across all key indicators.
"Our 14-day incidence is now the highest it’s been since 24 February at 231/100,000. Our five-day average is 1,159 cases per day, the highest it’s been since 2 February.
"If you are fully vaccinated, you can have confidence in your vaccine and enjoy socialising and meeting with other vaccinated people indoors, so long as you continue to follow the basic public health precautions.
"If you are waiting to be fully vaccinated, then it is best to continue to socialise outdoors. Events like barbecues, meeting in a park or going to the beach can be enjoyed safely once we do our best to minimise the risks of transmission – only meet in small groups, wash or sanitise your hands regularly, don’t share utensils and wear a face mask where appropriate. If you are meeting indoors, ensure that the room is well ventilated."
If anyone has an event over the next few days, the CMO also issued this advice.
He added: "If you have planned to attend a social event, and you experience symptoms of Covid-19, including symptoms of seasonal cold and flu such as headache, sore throat, runny nose; please stay at home, do not attend that event. This applies regardless of your vaccination status.
"Let your close contacts know how you feel, self-isolate and get tested. It can be tempting to defer getting a test but as soon as you experience symptoms, the best way to protect yourself and others is to arrange one straight away."
Earlier today, Minister Simon Harris said the government has not received any new advice from NPHET that would suggest they should not proceed with the planned reopening of indoor hospitality.
Minister Harris said “we are following public health advice” when asked if indoor dining should reopen against the backdrop of a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Harris said the government is “taking a very prudent” approach to reopening but warned hospital admissions and Covid-19 cases will increase significantly in the coming days and weeks.
He said: “We are following public health advice in relation to the reopening agenda so the government hasn’t received any new advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) that would suggest we should do nothing other than proceed along the basis that we’re planning to do so.
“We are probably the last country, I think, in the European Union to reopen indoor hospitality and we’re probably opening it in the most conservative manner possible.
