Over 1,000 people are now in hospital with Covid-19, according to the latest figures.
The grim news comes as an expert has warned Ireland should expect a serious rise in case numbers thanks to the St Patrick's Day festivities.
The past two years saw celebrations of our national holiday postponed due to the fear of spreading Covid and public health guidelines.
However, with those guidelines no longer in place, the double Bank Holiday later in the week is expected to see thousands hit the streets around the nation to celebrate.
As of 8am on Monday, 1,042 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised.
This includes 42 being treated in ICU for the virus.
Meanwhile, the head of the ICU at University Hospital Limerick has said that she would not be surprised to see a surge in Covid cases after St Patrick's Day.
Dr Catherine Motherway said she was "a little concerned" about the current trend in cases.
Speaking to RTE, Dr Motherway noted that Ireland's vaccination rate is high, so there is less worry about the statistics than there would have been last year.
The latest data from the Department of Health also confirmed that:
- On Saturday there were 4,400 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19, with an extra 6,853 people registering a positive antigen test through the HSE portal the previous day.
- On Sunday, there were 5,475 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 5,791 people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal the previous day.
- On Monday, 2,100 PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19 were confirmed, with an additional 7,271 people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal the previous day.
