The Department of Health has been notified of 26,122 new cases of Covid-19, the highest daily number since the pandemic began.
The previous highest was 23,817 on 6 January.
There are 917 people in hospital, down 19 since yesterday, of whom 83 are in ICU, down one.
In Northern Ireland, five patients who previously tested positive for Covid-19 have died and another 3,458 positive cases of the virus have been notified by its Department of Health.
It comes as a leading health expert said the surge in the Omicron wave of infection is likely to be next week.
Dr Mary Favier, who is Covid-19 Adviser to the Irish College of General Practitioners, encouraged parents and guardians of five to 11-year-old children to make sure they get vaccinated.
Those who have been registered with the Health Service Executive will be offered an appointment for their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine from today.
Registration for this cohort opened on Monday.
The vaccination programme is already under way with children who have a health condition that puts them at risk of severe illness from the virus or live with someone who is at higher risk from Covid-19.
Speaking on RTÉ's Brendan O'Connor programme, Dr Favier said there are some grounds for optimism.
While there are many positive cases they are not resulting in significant illness, she commented.
However, Dr Favier, who is also a member of NPHET, cautioned people against letting their guard down, warning that this could lead to a further surge .
She also expressed some concern that Covid cases are rising in the older age groups, compared to these last few weeks when it was largely young people aged between 19 and 24 being infected.
The current situation is "we haven't seen the top of the surge yet", she said, adding that that is likely to be this coming week.
She also warned if there is a view that "this is fine and just a common cold, people will drop their guard" and the case numbers will "really surge".
Dr Favier said the two reasons to vaccinate children are to both protect themselves and everyone else in the community.
It would solve a "lot of issues around should they be isolating, can they go to school" if they are vaccinated, she added.
Meanwhile, Director of Public Health at the HSE's National Immunisation Office Dr Lucy Jessop said 77,000 children aged between five and 11 are registered for the Covid-19 vaccine.
Speaking to RTÉ's Saturday with Katie Hannon, she said she does not believe there is vaccine hesitancy among parents but rather they are "taking their time to consider the information" and decide if that is the best decision for their children to be vaccinated.
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Dr Jessop said they know a lot of parents are keen to have their children vaccinated and it is very highly recommended for children who are at high risk from severe Covid or live with those who are high risk.
She said parents have concerns and would like good information around the vaccine... "they want to make sure it's safe for their children".
"We have launched our information campaign a few weeks ago to give parents time to look into that information."
Busy morning at the new @HSELive #Cork Vaccination Centre at North Main Street with primary doses of Covid 19 vaccine available to 5 to 11 year olds.
— JennïeØSullivân (@OSullivanJennie) January 8, 2022
Some 200 children had received their vaccines by midday today. @rtenews pic.twitter.com/9w1QVmU14k
She said over the last two years just over 200 children were hospitalised with Covid-19 and 100 of those were from June of last year up until now. She said 12 were in intensive care.
"Of those who were hospitalised, 70% didn't have an underlying condition. So although having an underlying condition would put you at increased risk of needing hospitalisation, some children who were previously well needed to be hospitalised," she added.
Dr Jessop said the Pfizer vaccine that is being given to children will be a two dose vaccine, with three weeks between doses.
Children who have a immune system that is compromised will need an additional dose 28 days after the second vaccine.
Dr Jessop said they are not entirely sure how long immunity will last.
"Studies are ongoing. Obviously this is the best thing we can do to protect our children against Covid, particularly severe Covid."
She said the potential side effects can include tiredness, a sore arm, headache, muscle pain, and some fevers.
Very rarely a child might have a severe allergic reaction and they are warning parents about pericarditis or myocarditis, which is inflammation of the heart, Dr Jessop explained.
She said that it is reassuring to have new information from the US which shows of the 8.5 million doses of the vaccine given to five to 11-year-olds, there were 12 cases of myocraditis.
She said the rate in this age group is much lower than those in their teens and twenties.
Dr Jessop said children who had Covid need to wait four weeks after a positive result to get their vaccine.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Hourihane, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at the Royal College of Surgeons and consultant at CHI Temple Street, said the risk of having a severe outcome after getting Covid 19 is "dramatically reduced" and there is no evidence there is any adverse safety outcome for children from the vaccine.
Professor Hourihane said an inflammatory condition linked to Covid-19 which can cause children to require treatment in intensive care can be "practically eliminated by getting vaccinated".
Call for access to free antigen tests
Separately, Chairperson of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers Elaine Dunne has called on the Government for access to free antigen tests for all services.
She said the level of staff shortages across the childcare sector is huge due to Covid.
"Coming into next week a huge amount of staff are gone again.."
She said among the staff at her two creches, some are still waiting for PCR tests more than five days since they have tried to book one.
"We are antigen testing all of our staff every single day. Yesterday we were down to three out of 17. There is no way our sector can keep up with this."
She said while schools have been given assurances, there has been no mention of the early learning sector getting masks.
"We are entitled to be looked after the same as everyone else. We want the masks, we need the antigen tests and we need them Monday morning."
