Ireland could see as a many as 700 to 1,200 Covid cases confirmed each day in January if current trends continue, NPHET has warned.
Professor Philip Nolan said that Ireland's R number has now climbed to between 1.1 -1.3 compared to 0.9 to 1 last week.
And Prof Nolan added the country could see over 1,000 cases per day in the new year as cases continue to spiral.
Prof Nolan who is head of the “The reproduction number is now estimated between 1.1 -1.3. We are concerned that Ireland is now in a phase of rapid growth, which if allowed continue, will result in 700 - 1200 cases per day by the second week in January, if not sooner.
"We are particularly concerned about older people and vulnerable adults, who have protected themselves through the second wave, and are now at risk during the festive season.”
It comes as the country is likely to face more restrictions before the new year.
It was originally planned that any further restrictions that may be needed would reimplemented on January 6, however Taoiseach Micheal Martin has since signalled it will likely be earlier.
Mr Martin told RTE News that the government will take these recommendations “very seriously” and said people can expect more restrictions “towards the end of the year, I think before New Years Eve is how I would put it.”
However, he said the government will make a decision on Tuesday about what exact restrictions will be reintroduced “ and the specific nature of the restrictions will have to be decided on by the government.”
Meanwhile Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said a decision will made on the raft of measures that will be introduced after Christmas by Tuesday.
The Fine Gael leader, who denied it would be effectively a Level 5 lockdown told RTE’s Prime Time ‘alarming’ recent figures had meant a change was necessary.
He said: “The difficulty is that the numbers have started rising again, particularly in the last couple of days.
“So, what NHPET is recommending is that we would reimpose some restrictions between Christmas and New Year’s, not getting to the 6th of January, which is what we hoped.
Mr Varadkar, who agreed businesses needed certainty, added: “As the Taoiseach indicated earlier on the kind of restrictions we’d be thinking about imposing at a point between Christmas and New Year’s would be restrictions on hospitality, essentially closing hospitality again and limiting visits of one household to another household, but not a total ban on household visits.
“But, for example retail and personal services will stay open, [non-essential retail] will stay open.
“But, what will happen, on Tuesday the Cabinet will meet and we will be able to read and consider the advice from NHPET, advice from other bodies as well because we’d like to hear advice from other bodies too and we’ll also have four more days of numbers.
“That’s because there is a chance, nothing is inevitable, there is a chance that the numbers will stabilise over the next few days.
“It’s not likely, but it is possible.”
Mr Varadkar also stressed that swift action was required because if they waited until January to impose additional measures the restrictions “might be tougher and go on for longer”.
