The phased reopening of the country has allowed people to socialise with each other again, however some are doing so "recklessly, undermining the efforts of the majority of people who are following public health advice", the acting chief medical officer has said.

According to Dr Ronan Glynn, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will meet on Monday to discuss the number of COVID-19 cases that have been reported in recent days.

On Saturday, 200 new cases of the virus were confirmed, the highest daily figure seen here since last May. A further 66 new cases were confirmed on Sunday, bringing the total number of cases in the Republic of Ireland to 27,257.

"NPHET will meet to review and discuss the case figures that have been reported in recent days and will make any necessary recommendations to Government, which are required to protect the vulnerable, continue with the resumption of healthcare services and ensure the safe reopening of our schools," Dr Glynn said.

He insisted that reckless socialising "cannot continue".

"This pandemic isn't over just because we are tired of living with it. We must all learn to behave and interact in a new way over the coming months so that COVID-19 cannot take root again in our communities.

"Please avoid crowds, reduce your social contacts, keep your distance from others, wash your hands and wear face coverings," Dr Glynn added.

Meanwhile, no new deaths were reported on Saturday or Sunday, leaving the total number of deaths here at 1,774.
Almost 47,000 tests have been completed in the last seven days, of which 1.2% were positive.

Since the pandemic began, 3,385 people have been hospitalised with COVID-19, of which 442 have been cared for in ICU. There are currently 16 people with confirmed COVID-19 in hospital, of which eight are in ICU.