The Department of Health has been notified of a further 21,384 new cases of Covid-19.
There are 984 people in hospital with the virus, which is up 67 since yesterday, of whom 83 are in intensive care, which is unchanged.
Chief Executive of the Health Service Executive Paul Reid has said the health service remains under strain because of the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Mr Reid said that people's adherence to public health guidelines was reducing the spread of infection.
The increasing level of infection in Ireland is reflected in other countries around the world, some of which are seeing record numbers of cases.
In Northern Ireland, two patients who previously tested positive for Covid-19 have died.
The Department of Health has also been notified of another 3,760 positive cases of the virus today.
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Professor of Immunology at DCU Christine Loscher said protecting the most vulnerable must continue to be the focus at this stage of the pandemic.
She warned that the virus is still "disproportionately" affecting those who are immunocompromised, those who have underlying conditions and older people.
"We can't get away from the fact that if we have high levels of disease there are still vulnerable populations despite high levels of vaccinations," she said.
Prof Loscher said while Covid cases are currently high they are not translating into a high level of hospitalisations or ICU admissions, as happened in previous waves.
Describing Omicron she said "I don't think it is mild, it is different".
She added that in tackling this variant there is a much higher proportion of people vaccinated, and she also highlighted its inability to affect deep into the lungs, adding that it remained instead in the upper respiratory tract.
She said Omicron is a very unusual variant with many mutations.
"The caveat always is what happens next?" Prof Loscher said, adding that this is the "curveball we have been thrown the whole way".
She said the case numbers of the Delta variant have "completely dropped" and while there have been new variants they have not taken over. However, that does not mean they are not there, she commented.
