There have been 231 new cases of Covid-19 reported by the Department of Health, including 133 in Dublin, with the Acting Chief Medical Officer urging people in the capital to keep their social contacts as low as possible.

It brings the total number of confirmed cases to 29,534.

No further deaths have been reported, meaning the death toll remains at 1,777.

69% of the 231 cases reported are in people under 45 years of age, while just under half are confirmed to be associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.

54 cases have been identified as community transmission.

More than half of the cases are in Dublin, with Dr Ronan Glynn saying it is "now really important that people in Dublin keep their social contacts as low as possible".

"While there is a significant number of cases in Dublin today, it is important to look at the day's figures in the context of our seven and 14 day incidence rates," he said.

"NPHET pays close attention to trends and patterns in the data over time in order to analyse the progression of Covid-19 both across the country and in particular areas or settings."

Of the remaining cases, 18 were in Kildare, 13 in Limerick, eight in Offaly, seven each in Galway and Wicklow, six each in Meath and Cork, and five each in Donegal, Cavan and Waterford.

The remaining 18 cases were spread across counties Carlow, Clare, Kerry, Laois, Leitrim, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Sligo, and Tipperary.

Earlier 118 new cases of the virus were reported in Northern Ireland, taking the total number of cases recorded there since the outbreak began to 7,621.

No further deaths have been reported, with the death toll remaining at 564.

There are 17 confirmed coronavirus patients in hospital in Northern Ireland, with three in ICU.

Figures from the Stormont Department of Health show that just over a quarter of a million people in Northern Ireland have now been tested for Covid-19.

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Meanwhile Ireland's 14-day coronavirus incidence rate remains higher than several countries that are not on the Green List for travel, including Britain, Germany, Sweden and Poland, according to figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

According to the ECDC, Ireland's 14-day incidence is at 29.6 per 100,000, with Britain at 25.7, Germany at 17.9, Sweden at 21.6 and Poland at 23.3.

People arriving here from these destinations must restrict their movements for 14 days. 

Spain continues to have the highest 14-day incidence in the countries monitored by the ECDC, at 218.3.

Authorities in Spain have reported 4,503 new cases of the virus, taking the total number of Spanish cases to almost 500,000 - the highest in western Europe.

France has a 14-day incidence rate of 98.2, while Croatia (85.9) Belgium (43.6) and Portugal (37.4) all have 14-day incidence rates higher than Ireland's.

The ECDC and National Public Health Emergency Team figures on 14-day incidence for Ireland can vary for several reasons.

There is a time lag in cases notified to the ECDC. Also, the ECDC uses an estimated population for Ireland from 2019.

The latest update from the ECDC comes as HSE chief executive Paul Reid revealed a record number of Covid-19 tests in a single day here.

"We tested our highest daily number at over 14,000 this week," he said on Twitter.

Two additional pop-up coronavirus testing centres are opening this weekend in north inner city Dublin and Dublin west.

They will offer free testing for anyone with Covid-19 symptoms, who are referred by a GP.

The pop-up centres - located at Handball Alley, Croke Park and Castleknock Health Centre - will increase capacity by between 180 to 200 tests per day.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said the average number of new cases per day here "is stable at nearly 100 and R (reproductive rate) is close to 1".

The World Health Organization says data to date suggests 80% of Covid-19 infections are mild or asymptomatic, 15% are severe infection, requiring oxygen and 5% are critical, requiring ventilation. 

Generally, you need to be 15 minutes or more in the vicinity of an infected person and within two metres of them, to be considered at-risk, or a close contact.