The Higher Education Minister says there are no plans to bring back the legal requirement to wear a mask.
There are over 1,300 Covid patients in hospital today - up 25 per cent on last week.
HSE boss Paul Reid says there needs to be a "heightened level of awareness" about the spread of the virus.
Minister Simon Harris says they're sticking with the approach of masks being optional:
"There's no current proposals before Government in that regard to the very best of my knowledge, and Government has always guided and has been since February and March 2020. By public health advice in our response to this, that advice hasn't changed. But at the same time, I think people have adapted their own behaviours. I think we all carry the facemask with this and we're in scenarios where we believe it to be appropriate and I think that's what's likely to continue"
