There have been 431 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ireland.
Six further deaths have also been reported.
Of today's new cases, 134 were in Dublin, 53 in Donegal, 25 in Cavan, 24 in Louth, 22 in Mayo, and the remaining 173 cases spread across all other remaining counties.
There were 207 COVID-19 patients in Irish hospital as of 2pm this afternoon, including 30 in intensive care.
The national 14-day incidence rate has now risen to 87 per 100,000.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said: “We are seeing significant and concerning indicators that this disease in moving in the wrong direction, including an increase in positivity rates, and 7 day and 14 day incidence, and our 5 day average has now increased to 339 cases.
"Recent international experience has demonstrated just how quickly this disease can get out of control.”
He said the situation is 'precarious' ahead of Christmas, when there'll potentially be "widespread inter-household and inter-generational mixing".
He said: "This is an ideal opportunity for the virus to spread and impact on those most vulnerable to its severest effects.
"Don’t give COVID-19 this chance: limit your contacts, prioritise who you meet, and let’s remain vigilant so we can get through this together."
NPHET will meet tomorrow to discuss the situation.
You can see the full breakdown of today's new cases below:
Figures released today have also revealed details of the settings where coronavirus outbreaks were recorded last week, with an increase in clusters linked to private households.
