Fears of another lockdown have been sparked as over 3,000 new Covid cases have been reported each day over the past week.
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre was notified of a further 3,578 Covid cases on Tuesday, with 520 people now in hospital, 83 of whom are in ICU.
The number of people hospitalised with Covid has had a worrying increase of an additional 20 compared to yesterday.
In a statement, Chief Medical Officer Dr Holohan said the 'very high' volume of disease in the community poses a 'significant risk' to the vulnerable and warned people not to become complacent.
He said: "We have reported over 44,000 cases in the past 14 days.
"The volume of disease in the community is really very high and represents a significant risk to those who are most vulnerable in our society.
"We need to continue to use all of the tools available to us to protect ourselves and others.
"By layering all of the public health measures with which we are now so familiar, we can help to break the chains of transmission.
"Ensure that you are washing your hands regularly, wearing a mask on public transport and in other social settings, try to meet others outdoors and ensure that indoor spaces are well-ventilated. And of course it remains essential that anyone with symptoms isolates and gets tested."
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Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Dr Holohan have refused to rule out the possibility of further restrictions should the rate of infection continue to spiral.
The Chief Medical Officer urged the public to get vaccinated and said the opportunity was still available for people to protect themselves against the virus.
He said: "We know that vaccination provides our strongest defence against severe illness and hospitalisation," Dr Holohan said.
"I encourage anyone who has yet to be vaccinated to come forward for vaccination. It is not too late to become part of our vaccinated pool of people and your participation in the Covid-19 vaccine programme will be welcomed.
''We are now also boosting and offering a third vaccine dose to healthcare workers and people over the age of 60.
"We are beginning to see encouraging signs, in the decreasing levels of infection among those age groups that have received their booster dose. The importance of coming forward cannot be overstated. If it is time for your booster, please come forward to receive that booster."
