The Chief Medical Officer has said he was "absolutely shocked" by the crowds that gathered in parts of Dublin city centre yesterday.
Dr Tony Holohan said the scenes in the South Great George's Street, Exchequer Street, and South William Street area were "like a major open air party".
On Twitter, Dr Holohan said: "This is what we do not need when we have made so much progress." Meanwhile, Public Health doctors have warned the variant first discovered in India could soon become the dominant strain in Ireland if case numbers remain high.
Public health doctors say they fear the variant could jeopradise the gains made if cases of it increase. Less than 100 cases have so far been detected.