Alarm has been raised after 168 new coronavirus cases in the space of just three days.
Ireland's top doctors admitted they were "surprised" by the sudden jump to 85 on Thursday - the highest daily rise since May.
38 new cases on Friday and a further 45 on Saturday have led to major concern and acting CMO Dr Ronan Glynn sending out a strong message.
And many of the cases have been outside Dublin in workplace clusters and family homes.
Here is a breakdown of the 168 new cases based on location, age group and more;
Thursday - 85 new cases
- 53 cases are men / 32 are women
- 68% are under 45 years of age
- 26 cases are located in Kildare, 18 in Dublin, 11 in Clare, 9 in Laois, 7 in Limerick, 4 in Meath and the remainder are spread across 7 other counties.
- 39% of today’s cases are associated with close contacts of a confirmed case
- Half are associated with outbreaks
Friday - 38 new cases
- 22 males/ 16 females
- Median age 30 years
- 82% are under 45 years of age
- 32 cases are located in Dublin or Kildare
- 26 are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of confirmed cases
Saturday - 45 new cases
- 23 are men / 22 are women
- 77% are under 45 years of age (50% aged 25- 44 years)
- 9 cases are located in Limerick, 8 in Kildare, 7 in Mayo, 6 in Cavan, 4 in Dublin with the remainder spread across 5 other counties.
- 18 are associated with outbreaks or close contacts of a confirmed case
- 12 cases have been identified as community transmission
Area of concern
Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn has said that the recent spike and the community transmission is a real area of concern.
Speaking on Saturday the top doctor said: "Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said; “Over the last five days we have seen an average of 44 cases a day. This trend is clearly concerning and now is the time to ensure you and your families are making every effort to keep each other safe.
“Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home.
“Do not organise or attend house parties.
“Restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people (including staff) on their premises at any one time.
“All workplaces should again review their procedures and protocols.
“Avoid congregated settings or environments where safety precautions are not in place.
“Wash your hands regularly, carry hand sanitizer and wear a face covering where appropriate.
“Ensure you isolate immediately if you experience any flu like symptoms.
“It is our individual action that will stop the spread.”
Is a second lockdown on the cards?
Ireland is experiencing a surge of Covid cases but experts are still hopeful it is a "blip" rather than a second wave.
NPHET have recently discussed local lockdowns but at the moment there has been no mention of reintroducing restrictions.
However, as cases continue to rise it is looking less likely phase four will begin on August 10.
Monday week is currently the date set for the reopening of pubs.
