People are being urged not to get distracted by falling Covid-19 case numbers, as "the current daily figures do not present a full picture" of infection in the community.
Public health experts are warning that it will take a number of weeks before the positive trends in the community are felt in hospitals.
At University Hospital Limerick, the number of Covid-positive inpatients has decreased this week - but much of this relates to the delisting of patients as Covid-positive, rather than recovered patients being discharged from hospital.
In a joint statement, the Department of Public Health Mid-West, UL Hospitals Group and HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare called on people to do what they can to "bring infection rates to a minimum".