The National Public Health Emergency Team meets today and it is expected to consider proposals around increased mask wearing at outdoor events and possibly in primary schools.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Professor Mary Horgan said avoiding lockdown would be the right way to go but that the situation has to be watched very closely.
At a Fine Gael meeting last night it is believed Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the current Covid wave looks to be plateauing at a worryingly high level, but also that people are responding positively to guidelines to stop the current wave. Latest coronavirus stories Mr Varadkar told colleagues that the country did want to go into Christmas with this high a plateau of infection.