A member of NPHET says further restrictions won't ease at the beginning of September if Covid cases continue to rise.
The five-day moving average has increased by 27 per cent in the past two weeks, and now stands at 1,854.
1,558 new cases were confirmed yesterday.
The government's due to announce a plan for the easing, or removal, of the remaining restrictions by the end of this month.
But Dr Mary Favier says further reopening may have to be delayed.
"If we continue to see a rise in Covid numbers over the net two or three weeks I don't think we're going to be in a position to easer restrictions any further and that will have to wait another two or three weeks.
"It's going to come down to personal behaviours and what we do know.
"The big challenges on the horizon are around getting schools, universities and third levels back to education in early September, and the easing of restrictions may have to wait until that is successfully achieved."
