The National Public Health Emergency Team is expected to report 1,000 new Covid-19 cases today.
Following yesterdays report of 783 cases, which was the highest number reported in a single day since February, HSE Director General Paul Reid said he expects the cases will be even higher today.
He said, “Yesterday, as you know, we saw one of the highest numbers of cases in one day, since February, as almost 800 cases.
“We know and expect that today’s cases will be approximately 1000.
“Any kind of look forward ahead will clearly demonstrate this is a very significant rise of case numbers.”
The Department of Health has said that the infection rate of COVID is increasing by 2% to 4% daily.
Mr Reid said he is concerned that the planned easing of restrictions in the UK will affect the spread of the Delta variant in Ireland.
He said, “We’d have all these concerns was happening in the UK.
“The reality of that just, you know, widespread opening like that, it hits the most vulnerable populations, it hits education, it hits young people in schools.”
Mr Reid said the Irish government are taking a more ‘pragmatic and cautious’ approach, which is welcomed in the HSE.
The government has accelerated the vaccine programme's roll-out to protect as many people against the spread of the Delta variant.
Earlier today Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that the vaccine portal will open for people aged 25-29 tomorrow.
People aged 25-29 will be able to avail themselves of a Pfizer of Moderna mRNA vaccine.
To register, you will need your PPS number, Eircode, phone number and email address.
Appointments are expected to follow in the coming weeks.
Pharmacies are also now administering one-shot Janssen vaccines to people aged 18-34 in another attempt to get the adult population fully vaccinated sooner.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glyn said on Wednesday that there had been 626 travel-related cases over the past fortnight.
This accounts for 8.4% of all cases. Spain accounted for 385 cases, followed by Britain with 161 cases and Portugal with 131.
