A warning has been issued that Covid cases are set to reach the 4,000 mark today or tomorrow.
And Tanaiste Leo Varadkar says he can’t rule out a return of winter restrictions across the country.
The Fine Gael leader has told how Ireland’s situation is “fragile but stable”.
Speaking on RTE’s Morning Ireland, he said: “We will see cases hit around 4,000 today or tomorrow.
“They’ve been heading that way and there’s a backlog of unverified cases.”
He has also said he can’t rule out the return of winter restrictions before Christmas because it would be “reckless”.
He added: “It would be reckless to do so, but I can say that it’s not our intention and we don’t expect to have to reimpose restrictions before Christmas.
“I’ve always said that we would have to get through another winter before we can say this pandemic is behind us.”