Senior government ministers will meet today to consider closing schools until the end of the month.
The cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will discuss the proposal before a final decision is made tomorrow.
It comes as 6,110 new cases of the virus were confirmed last night - the highest since the pandemic began - with 6 further deaths.
In this region, there were 111 new cases in Mayo, 116 in Galway, 33 in Sligo, 24 in Roscommon and 12 in Leitrim.
The 14-day incidence rate of the virus is now 582 per 100,000 people - both Sligo and Mayo have rates above the national average.
The Chief Medical Officer says the country "can't cope" with the current levels of the disease.
