The Omicron strain of Covid-19 is so infectious that if someone tests positive there's a "very strong" chance they've already passed it on to everyone they live with.
That's the warning from the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn.
He is urging people to stay home and isolate as a group if anyone gets a positive PCR or antigen test result for the virus.
6,307 more people have tested positive for the virus in the latest official data and 55 more deaths have been confirmed in the week up to yesterday.
Test centres are extremely busy with 21 per cent of tests coming back positive.
Dr Glynn says people must stay home if they have any symptoms;
"There's really no other advice we can give other than to say if anybody in your household tests positive on either an antigen or a PCR test then you all need to stay away from others."
Vaccines for children
Meanwhile the Taoiseach has encouraged all parents to get their children vaccinated.
Registration for vaccines for 5 to 11 year-olds is expected to open over the coming weeks. Most will be able to get a vaccine from January 10th.
Boosters
109,000 boosters and vaccines were administered yesterday, the second record-breaking day in a row.
106,000 of those were boosters or third doses for the medically vulnerable.
