The Chief Medical Officer has warned that current socialisation trends 'cannot be sustained' as COVID-19 cases continue to grow.
Dr Tony Holohan was speaking as another 2,975 cases were reported in Ireland on Wednesday.
A further 74 COVID-related deaths have also been reported in the last week - the highest weekly total since NPHET started reporting deaths on a weekly basis five months ago.
Latest figures show there are 551 patients with COVID-19 being treated in Irish hospitals - with 89 patients in intensive care.
Dr Holohan says the public has not responded to NPHET's call for a drop in social contacts.
"We're not seeing encouraging signs of reduction in socialisation, we're still seeing high levels of socialisation right across the population.
"And so we're simply socialising at a level, in broad terms, that we simply can't sustain in terms of the numbers of case numbers.
"So our message'll be to people if you're planning, and we're advising people to plan, with these guidances in place - the basic public health measures in place."
He is asking people to reduce their contacts by half.
"If each one of us was doing that, it would have a significant effect we think in terms of transmission.
"So if you're planning to go out two nights of the week, maybe just go out once.
"If you're planning to have 10 people over to the house for a particular event, maybe just have five during this period of very, very high transmission.
"The reality is the opportunity that's being given to the virus by the levels of socialisation to transmit from person-to-person are simply too many."
And Dr Holohan says while another lockdown is not being considered, nothing is being ruled out.
"Restrictions, if we think they're needed, will always be something that we'll give contemplation to and if we think they have a role to play in whatever form.
"The word restrictions is a broad word - if by that you mean the closure of economic and social activities, the closure of certain sections and segments of society.
"Nobody is ruling out things like that anywhere; but at the same time, no one has an expectation that we're going to go back into that kind of environment.
"We're not planning on contemplating on that basis at this point in time".
Additional reporting: Trish Laverty
