Almost 1,000 healthcare workers in the Republic have now tested positive for Covid 19.
New HSE figures also show 148 people are being treated in intensive care units - most of them are under 65.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, says healthcare staff now account for a quarter of cases but the majority did not pick it up while at work.
"Only about a quarter of them have picked up that infection we think in the course of work.
"For 50% of them, it is community transmission that explains it., in other words, there isn't an identifiable link that is associated with their healthcare environment, we think it is picked up outside.
"About a quarter of the again associated with travel," he said.
Meanwhile, doctors fighting the pandemic are demanding a clear timeline as to when those on the frontlines will no longer be put at risk from the use of substandard personal protective equipment (PPE).
A further 22 deaths linked to Covid-19, and 424 new cases of the virus, were confirmed yesterday, bringing Ireland’s death toll to 120 people.
