Dr Ronan Glynn has said NPHET is not currently contemplating an extension to Level Five - but is concerned that our progress is "deteriorating".
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer was speaking after a further 456 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland this evening.
While sadly five more people have passed away from the killer bug.
And Dr Glynn shared the concern of health officials that we are on the wrong track in our fight to suppress the virus.
The deputy CMO said: “We are concerned the positive trajectory we have been reporting in recent weeks has at best stalled and is in fact deteriorating."
He added that there was only a short period of time left to "turn this around" with a focus on public health measures.
Dr Glynn continued: "One of the biggest single detriments to our progress, is an overt focus on where we might be in six weeks' time. We have to focus on today and tomorrow and what people are doing individually.
"We have no idea where we'll be in two weeks' time at this point. It could get much better, it could get much worse.
"What dictates that is what people do today, tomorrow and the next day. We won't see the outcome of those interactions for about ten days.
"This isn't a message that we might recommend further measures or the extension of Level Five, we really don't want to contemplate anything like that, and we're not contemplating that at present.
"But we need communities to take opportunities, and I know this isn't easy, it's really hard for people, I appreciate that. I would ask people to stick with us and to focus on the basics.
"Don't worry too much about what is being said internationally or what might happen in six weeks' time, focus on what's happening today and tomorrow."
