The head of NPHET's modelling group says there's "every hope" that over 400 Covid patients won't end up in ICU next month.
Professor Philip Nolan has urged people to reduce their social contacts by a third to bring the virus back under control.
New restrictions will see restaurants, bars and nightclubs close at midnight tonight - and a work-from-home policy take effect tomorrow.
Professor Nolan says there's still time to stop hospitals being overwhelmed.
"The reproduction number is currently about 1.3.
"We only need people to reduce their contacts, or to mitigate the risk of contact by about a third to bring the virus back under control.
"I remain optimistic that if people hear the message and get back to basics that we won't see the scenarios set out in the models."
