A further 1,378 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Republic, as well as 23 more deaths.

This brings the total number of cases here to 187,554 and the total number of deaths to 2,970.

Of the 1,378 new cases, 379 occurred in Dublin, 145 in Cork, 86 in Wexford, 85 in Galway and 71 in Limerick. Almost 60% of these cases involved people under the age of 45.

Of the 23 deaths reported, the median age of those who died was 84 years and the age range was 61-99 years.

As of 2pm on Sunday, 1,931 people were in hospital with confirmed COVID, 218 of whom were in ICU. There had been 44 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours.

According to the Department of Health's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, while the country has started to make progress in reducing the level of the virus in the community, "this is a critical time for all of us to hold firm to the public health advice".

"There is a huge volume of disease in the country and the recent surge in cases continues to place an unprecedented strain on ICUs, hospitals and other frontline healthcare services. The answer lies in driving down social contacts and congregation in all settings, including in workplaces," he commented.

He reminded people that anyone who can work from home should do so where possible. For those who cannot work from home, public health advice should be followed, such as the wearing of face coverings when moving around communal areas.

"We urge all employers to facilitate home working as much as possible and to ensure strict adherence to public health measures in the workplace," Dr Holohan added.

More information on the latest figures in relation to COVID-19, including the number of people vaccinated so far, is available here.