3,887 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed this evening.
493 patients are in hospital with the virus, of which 109 are in ICU.
Dr. Tony Holohan says nearly 14 percent of the cases are now the Omicron strain:
“Results today suggest that approximately 14% of our cases are due to the Omicron variant.
“In line with the experience of many other countries, we can expect this proportion to rise rapidly over the coming days.
“The goal now is to limit the spread of COVID-19 through our tried and tested preventive measures. These measures can protect us and our families and will allow time for the booster vaccination programme to take effect.
“This means that as we move closer to Christmas, we must try to reduce the number of people we meet, avoid crowds and work from home unless it is essential to attend in person.
“I encourage anyone eligible for a booster vaccination to take that opportunity. Boosters are proven to be effective in restoring protection against all variants of COVID-19.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Officer will meet with Government party leaders this evening to discuss the spread of the Omicron variant.
It comes as Government says it plans to speed up the roll out of booster vaccines.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil it's the best way to fight the new variant.
