LATEST: More Christmas restrictions may be on cards surge in Omicron cases

There have been 3,887 new cases of Covid-19 reported by the Department of Health,

However, the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said results show around 14% of cases are now due to the Omicron variant, and he warned: “We can expect this proportion to rise rapidly over the coming days”.

A further 3,887 people have contracted Covid-19, the Department of Health confirmed this evening.

There are now 493 patients being treated in hospital for the virus, a drop of 25 from yesterday. Of these, 109 are being treated in ICU, an increase of one.

The latest figures come as the leaders of the three Government parties today met with Dr Holohan for an update on the Omicron variant.

RTÉ this evening reported that there is a growing feeling within Government that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) could recommend further restrictions before Christmas.

Earlier, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the new Omicron variant is of “serious concern”.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has also stressed the importance of speeding up the booster rollout in meetings with Health Service Executive (HSE) leaders.

Minister Donnelly has spoken directly with GP and pharmacy representatives urging them to participate in a national effort to administer more boosters.