There have been 631 new cases of coronavirus reported in Ireland today.
It's the first time over 600 cases have been reported in a single day since late April, and the highest daily figure since April 1st.
It means the five-day moving average of new cases has now risen above 500.
Speaking about the figures, CMO Dr Tony Holohan said: "This is a cause of concern and shows that this disease is prevalent in our communities again.
“We know there is worry and frustration out there, particularly for young people who have had significant parts of their lives put on hold by this disease.
"We ask if you are not yet vaccinated, to hold firm to the public health advice as you await your vaccine."
Health officials say the proportion of cases attributed to the Delta variant of the virus has “increased rapidly” over the past four weeks - with the strain now attributed to 71% of all cases.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn said some parts of the country - including Donegal, Waterford and Dublin - have been more affected than others in terms of rising incidence rate of COVID-19.
Figures released earlier today showed there were 50 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Irish hospitals - a decrease compared to recent days.
15 of those patients are being treated in intensive care.
The latest update on the vaccine rollout shows 54% of the adult population is now fully vaccinated, with over 221,000 vaccines administered in the first four days of this week.
