NPHET has warned that Covid-19 cases have risen due to the Delta variant but isn't known yet how the higher case count will translate into admissions to hospitals and intensive care units in Ireland.
As of 8am on Wednesday, there were 73 patients in hospital with the disease, of whom 20 were in intensive care units.
There were 13 additional hospital admissions in the last 24 hours.
The Department of Health confirmed there had been 783 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland in the past 24 hours on Wednesday.
Unvaccinated people have been urged to stay vigilant against Covid-19 after the highest daily case total since February.
Nphet's modelling expert Professor Philip Nolan said: "Unfortunately we are seeing the beginnings of an increased number of people in hospital, going from 45 over the seven days preceding this day two weeks ago, to about 50 on average up to Wednesday last week and to 60 on average this week.
"At the same time, the number of admissions per day is increasing from a very stable six admissions per day, to eight or nine per day and trending upwards.
"Similarly, while the numbers in intensive care had been very stable, just in the last week, they've begun to trend upwards.
"Seventeen on average over the last seven days, 20 today.
"I've heard I heard some comments recently that many of those have been in ICU for a very long period of time, that's largely not true.
"We've 20 people in intensive care right now, 10 of those were admitted in the last 10 days, and the length of stay in intensive care hasn't got longer."
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there was "no question" that the Delta variant was having an impact on the high levels of transmission being seen.
Meanwhile, Ireland currently has one of the lowest numbers of people in hospital or intensive care with coronavirus per million population, according to the health watchdog.
Only the Czech Republic, Denmark, Israel and Norway have fewer COVID-19 patients.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) published an updated international review submitted to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on public health measures and strategies to limit the spread of the virus.
HIQA found that restrictions continue to be eased across 18 of the 19 countries included in the review.
The exception was Portugal, where regional COVID-19 restrictions have been reintroduced.
HIQA said the pace of easing was noted to differ, as did the requirements to access certain services and facilities, and to attend events.
Similarly, the numbers allowed at private and public gatherings varied widely.
Since April, all of the reviewed countries have experienced falls in their rates of COVID-19 hospital and intensive care admissions as well as reductions in the number of deaths.
However, the latest data from HIQA show increasing COVID-19 incidence rates in more than half of the included countries -- which is likely to be due to the widespread transmission of the Delta variant, first identified in India.
Illness
HIQA's Dr Mairin Ryan, said: "We need to remain cautious. While our rate of hospitalisations and ICU admissions is low, incidence rates are rising, which suggests an increase in hospitalisations may be ahead of us.
"The COVID-19 vaccine remains the best method to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and safeguard against serious illness.
"Every country reviewed has rolled out a vaccination programme.
"In the European Union, Spain and Germany have the highest share of population that is fully vaccinated, at 39.5 per cent and 37.6 per cent respectively, with Ireland at 36.2 per cent.
"We would encourage anyone who has the opportunity to be vaccinated, to do so."
It comes as Health Minister Stephen Donnelly revealed that an additional 834 acute hospital beds have been delivered this year to date, with a further 229 expected.
He added that "in addition, 73 sub-acute beds have been added with 40 more planned for this year."
Minister Donnelly said the HSE "aims to increase ICU capacity to 321 by the end of this year and to 446 in the longer term.
He said: "The EUR52 million provided for implementation of this plan will allow for an additional 66 beds to be put in place.
"The HSE has advised that 42 of those 66 beds are now open, bringing our baseline capacity to 297 beds as of right now."
