With NPHET's latest press conference taking precedence on another eventful day in Ireland, the publication of the updated roadmap for Covid on August 31 is taking on an even greater significance.
While Covid and lockdown continue to be the main focus, plenty of other noteworthy stories occurred in Ireland today.
Here's what happened on Tuesday, August 24...
End of restrictions
Dr Tony Holohan is optimistic that the remaining restrictions in Ireland will be gone before Christmas but warned that the vaccination programme will be the key factor.
The CMO said he hoped the remaining restrictions could be gone “much sooner” than Christmas.
“It’s hard to be certain about in advance but obviously our hope and ambition is that we might get there much sooner than that,” he said.
Holohan adds: “Obviously it’s going to depend on us getting as far as we reasonably can in terms of our vaccine but the nature of vaccination and the time it takes for an individual to receive both doses and then to become vaccinated it will be well into September by the time we complete the vaccination programme,” he said.
The CMO also noted that the uptake in f vaccination will be key in determining whether “unsafe” activities can return and that Ireland may be in that place in “four to six weeks”.
The CMO was asked his view on Stephen Donnelly's recent comments that all sectors "would be open this calendar year."
When asked to respond to the Health Minister's remarks, Holohan said: "We have no basis to say anything other than we expect incidences to grow. It's simply not right for us to express such optimism at present.
The CMO noted that health authorities will have a better idea of where the country stands in 4-6 weeks before noting that: "We need to keep going with vaccination."
"Let me clarify, now is not the time to say that we've gotten to where we want to get to, but we have reason to believe that we'll get to the levels of vaccination that we want to get to," he said.
Woman killed in road crash
A woman in her 60s has died after her car collided with a truck on the M8 motorway on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident happened in the townland of Longford Pass on the southbound lane of the motorway, south of Junction 4, at approximately 11.30am this morning.
A female driver was the sole occupant of her car and is understood to have been pronounced dead at the scene.
Her body has been taken to the mortuary in South Tipperary General Hospital where a post mortem will take place in due course.
The driver of the truck, a man in his mid-20s, was treated for shock at the scene by paramedics.
The road remains closed in both directions as Garda Forensic Collision Investigators conduct their examination of the scene and local diversions are in place.
Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to come forward.
Any road users who were travelling on the M8 southbound, south of Junction 4, and who may have camera footage (including dash cam) is asked to make it available to gardai.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Thurles Garda Station on (0504) 25100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
Met Eireann's scorching forecast
The great weather will hit most counties this week, continuing right into the weekend, with temperatures between 21C and 27C.
On Tuesday the highest temperatures will be felt in the southwest and midlands, while the coolest breezes will be across the east of the country.
Wednesday will feature more spells of sunshine - although there is a minor chance of ‘light stray showers’ - with highest temperatures of 21 to 25 or 26 degrees.
Thursday will then be dry and very warm for most of the day with ‘long spells of late summer sunshine and just light northeast breezes,’ according to the Irish forecaster.
It’s set to be the hottest day of the week on Thursday with top temperatures of 22 to 27 degrees Celsius, with the best of it across the midlands.
Heading into the weekend on Friday, there will be even more dry and toasty conditions for most areas - but it will be cooler and cloudier across eastern counties.
The best temperatures of 17 to 24 degrees Celsius are expected, and it will be warmest across Atlantic counties.
Throughout Saturday and Sunday, the forecaster predicts ‘the settled spell will continue through the weekend with warm spells of hazy sunshine. Temperatures above average, into the twenties in just light variable or northeasterly breezes.’
