Several areas were hit by a surge in new infections after hundreds of new Covid-19 cases were confirmed across the country tonight.
A total of 764 more people have tested positive for coronavirus in Ireland, while four more deaths have been confirmed.
It brings the number of infections here to 79,542 since the pandemic began.
The latest figures were announced by the Department of Health this evening.
A total of 284 of the new cases were in Dublin, with 70 in Limerick, 52 in Donegal, 44 in Cork, 37 in Wexford and the remaining 277 cases are spread across another 20 counties.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan issued a stark warning after the huge spike in cases.
He said: “Every indicator of disease severity is moving in the wrong direction, more rapidly than we had anticipated. We have particularly strong concerns about the prospect of inter-generational mixing around the festive season. On 11th December the 7-day incidence rate for people aged 19-44 was 106 per 100,000 population, by yesterday this rate had more than doubled to 217 per 100,000. If these younger people come into contact with their loved ones over the age of 65, we could see a spike in infections in this more vulnerable group. This would lead to very a serious pattern of disease, hospitalisations, ICU admissions and unnecessary deaths.”
Here is a full county-by-county breakdown of today's new cases:
Donegal - 52
Louth - 36
Kilkenny - 8
Carlow - 11
Laois - 19
Cavan - 14
Wexford - 37
Limerick - 70
Longford - Less than 5
Dublin - 284
Monaghan - 8
Mayo - 9
Kerry - 29
Meath - 31
Wateford - 17
Sligo - 14
Kildare - 28
Wicklow - 10
Offaly - 0
Tipperary - 8
Galway - 17
Cork - 44
Westmeath - 8
Roscommon - Less than 5
Clare - Less than 5
Leitrim - Less than 5
