The Chief Medical Officer has said "we can't afford" to do Christmas and New Year's in the normal way this year.
Dr Tony Holohan said the easing of restrictions over the two week period is "simply too long" given the increased amount of socialising and gathering people with due during that time.
It comes as 484 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed yesterday, along with three additional deaths.
The 14-day incidence rate has jumped to 94.2 per 100,000 population while there are 200 COVID-19 patients in Irish hospitals.
Speaking at the Department of Health briefing last night, Dr Holohan voiced his concern that the virus is spreading throughout the country among age groups.
He warned of "exponential growth in January, a substantial increase in hospitalisations and risk to life” if we don't limit our interactions now.
This could be as many as 1,200 cases a day by the second week of January based on the current trends.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Dr Holohan said that alcohol is "a particular challenge for this country" and that it leads to people becoming less vigilant with public health measures.
On a "sobering" meeting with the Minister for Health yesterday, he said: "We've set out an analysis which shows a pattern of infections which is giving significant concern to us.
"484 cases yesterday, I'm expecting an even bigger number today.
"All of the indicators, the number of people attending GPs, the number of people being referred for testing, the testing positivity rate, measures of the influenza-like illness rate, how much that's turning up in GPs, all of these are tracking up as well as the measurement of cases we have."
Dr Holohan said a "substantial amount" of this relates to activities in households and social activity in recent weeks.
He added: "If you look at the last ten days or so since the measures changed in early December, we've seen a change now in the pattern of infection at around the time period we feared we might see."
The trend up in cases is "starting to accelerate" which Dr Holohan said is causing concern for public health officials.
He said: "It gives us to the basis to say to Government that we're concerned, that we need to take action early to prevent this from leading to a much greater surge of infection in the early part of the New Year."
NPHET recommendations
Meanwhile, NPHET has recommended the closure of restaurants and gastropubs before the New Year as part of efforts to deal with rising rates of the virus.
From today, people can travel outside their county and three different households can meet indoors.
The measures were due to stay in place until January 6th, but NPHET wants household mixing limited to one other household shortly after Christmas.
The advice, including new restrictions for the hospitality sector, will be considered by Cabinet next week.
However, the Taoiseach also told Newstalk Breakfast that there is a "very strong likelihood" that restaurants and gastropubs will be closed for New Year's Eve.
Dr Holohan said it was up to the Government to decide what action it will take with regard to restrictions on foot of NPHET recommendations.
He added that no specific sector was being targeted in its advice.
He said: "We think it's clear with the change in the infection that we have at the moment, with Christmas around the corner, that we as a country can't afford to do Christmas and then the New Year after that in the way we normally do.
"We need to do something if we're going to prevent a surge of infection in January.
"We think the length of time as we move today into a set of Christmas arrangements, the length of time incorporating both Christmas and the New Year, with what's happened to the disease over the course of the last ten to 15 days...is simply too long."
Of particular concern is the gathering of people and socialising over the New Year period, he said, with alcohol being an added worry.
Crowds of people fill Grafton Street in Dublin doing Christmas shopping. Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ieHe added: "Alcohol let's be honest is a particular challenge for us in this country, a particular challenge in maintaining social distancing and high standards of public health behaviours."
Dr Holohan did also not rule out more restrictions early in the New Year.
He added: "If we continue to see levels of infection at or growing from the levels we're experiencing at the moment, we may have to make further advice available.
"We have made advice available now in respect of the period ahead and Government will give consideration to that and no doubt in due course and in due time will make its decisions known."
Private PCR testing
The CMO said he was also concerned about people getting private COVID-19 tests before meeting friends or family at Christmas.
The PCR test is just a measure of whether someone has the virus at a particular point in time, and it's possible the person may not have had enough of viral buildup to be tested.
"People shouldn't be using testing as a form of screening to give licence to the things they intend to undertake," he said.
