A further 21,098 new Covid-19 cases have been confirmed by the Department of Health today.
7,038 were PCR-confirmed cases and 14,060 were positive antigen tests registered through the HSE portal yesterday.
Hospitalisations of the virus continue to soar, with 1,395 patients as of 8am today.
Of these, 55 are in ICU.
Experts have warned that the new BA.2 strain could be the most infectious disease humanity has ever encountered, as it is 30% more infectious than Omicron which was 70% more infectious than its predecessor.
Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College Luke O'Neill told Today with Claire Byrne on Tuesday that the mutated strain is set infect everyone Omicron missed.
He said: "A great phrase I saw myself this morning was BA.2 is sweeping up everybody who didn't get Omicron. In other words, it's almost impossible to avoid this.
"It could be the most infectious virus we've seen, amazing. Chickenpox is very infectious and measles - we all know these spread like wildfire.
"But this BA.2 - there's nothing like it."
He added: "It is 30% more infectious than Omicron, which is already 70% more infectious than the previous one.
"The spike has changed in the virus. It sticks to your lungs much more readily and hence spreads much more quickly."
Read More: Deltacron Covid variant: What are the symptoms of the new strain?
Read more: Covid-19 Ireland: New BA.2 strain 'impossible to avoid', says Luke O'Neill
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