Dr Ronan Glynn this evening listed off all the things people across Ireland should not be doing this weekend.
It comes after a "concerning" spike of 168 cases in the space of just three days.
Health experts are extremely worried by the jump but are hopeful it is down to a robust testing regime.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said this evening: "A total of 45 Covid cases were confirmed today (Saturday).
"A significant proportion were associated with existing outbreaks/clusters. Substantial screening of contacts was done. Thankfully, there were no deaths. Our response will remain measured and cautious."
Dr Glynn pleaded with the public to follow the guidelines and listed out all the things they shouldn't do this weekend;
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Ensure gatherings are kept to a minimum and invite no more than 10 others into your home.
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Do not organise or attend house parties.
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Restaurants must enforce a limit of 50 people (including staff) on their premises at any one time.
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Avoid congregated settings or environments where safety precautions are not in place.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, added: “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."
