30 new Covid-19 outbreaks were identified at schools over the past week - while there are 125 open clusters in the settings.
The household is still the largest spreader of the disease according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre with over 3,000 open clusters.
It comes as 444 new infections were reported in the Republic, with the estimated national 14-day incidence rate falling again to 212.
The reproductive number of the disease is believed to be between 0.7 and 0.9.
Monaghan GP Illona Duffy says the key to keeping the infection rates low is stopping non-essential travel across the border.
"We've got to do what we're doing, and continue to do it well.
"And that includes unfortunately having to stay away from people, not gathering in groups, not travelling, and for us along the border there will be concern in the next few weeks if things start to open up in the north.
"We have to ensure that people aren't travelling either way across the border, and that we keep our Covid rates down."
