The number of people being hospitalised with COVID-19 has jumped significantly in the last two weeks, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has warned.

According to Dr Tony Holohan, the number of hospitalisations has jumped from 190 two weeks ago to 324 today.

"This indicates a deteriorating disease trajectory nationally and is a significant reminder of the severity of this disease. There have also been further increases across key indicators of COVID-19 right across the country and the growth rate of the epidemic has accelerated in recent days," he said.

A further 744 cases of the virus were confirmed today, along with four additional deaths. This follows a record 1,296 newly confirmed cases on St Stephen's Day.

However Dr Holohan noted that as a result of a lower volume of tests carried out over Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day, it is his belief that there are higher levels of disease circulating in the community than today's case numbers reflect.

"We expect to see a large increase in cases reported over the coming days. If we do not act now to stop the spread of COVID-19, we will not be able to protect those in our society that are most at risk of serious illness or death.

"Stay home, do not visit friends or family unless you are providing essential care and do not have visitors to your home. Follow the public health advice," Dr Holohan said.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the HSE, Paul Reid, has said that vaccinations will begin in Ireland on December 29, a day earlier than planned. Ireland's first allocations of Pfizer BioNTech vaccines arrived on St Stephen's Day.

A small number of people are set to be vaccinated on December 29 in St James's Hospital and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway.

Ireland is currently at level 5 of the Government's COVID-19 plan. For more on this, click here.