The World Health Organisation has recommended that the Irish government brings back Covid mask rules in some settings.
The latest Omicron wave has seen daily case numbers shoot up into the 20,000s and as a result, hospitals are coming under major pressure.
The HSE warned on Thursday that health services are struggling due to the number of patients needing care and the level of staff absences due to infection.
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A number of hospitals across the country have had to ban visitors, while some deter patients from attending the A&E as they try to cope with internal outbreaks.
On Tuesday, there were 8,910 PCR-confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, while 14,215 people had registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal - a total of 23,125.
The number of patients in the hospital was up at 1,425 - marking an increase of 30 people on the day before.
Of this number, 53 people are receiving treatment in ICUs across Ireland.
The WHO's special envoy on Covid, Dr. David Nabarro, on Friday said as Covid cases rise again, the government should be implementing a return to mask-wearing, and social distancing.
"If I were in Ireland right now, I would be expecting there to be a request for mask-wearing in confined spaces where there may be crowds, such as public transport, for example, and hospitality venues that are hot and unventilated,” he said.
"I would be expecting those to be the kind of places where mask-wearing and physical distancing become strongly recommended."
However, speaking in Brussels on Thursday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the latest jump in infections does not call for further restrictions.
He said at this point the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan does not see the need for any widespread rules to contain this leg of the virus.
“This current wave seems to be less impactful, less virulent, the CMO is of that view, than earlier variants, and it doesn’t justify further economic restrictions.”
However, Holohan has reportedly recommended that the isolation period for people who contract Covid-19 be reduced.
The idea is being mulled over by the Government due to concerns around the impact of the current 7-day isolation period on Irish employees.
It is looking into whether this could be reduced to allow employees to return to work sooner after initial infection.
Leo Varadkar also confirmed on Wednesday that a group to replace NPHET will be formed “imminently” and will issue advice to the Government on how to respond to the virus going forward.
According to reports, it will have up to 12 members, including public officials.
READ MORE: Covid Ireland: Cases fly above 23,000 with hospitals 'really struggling' as patient numbers grow
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