Over 19,500 COVID-19 tests were carried out yesterday, a new daily record.
The positivity rate over the last seven days is now more than 4 percent.
The HSE has a capacity for 100,000 tests a week, with additional capacity in place at a German lab.
HSE CEO Paul Reid is urging the public to help turn the trend around.
He said: "That's the volume we're at, the trend we're seeing and that's the concern - people need to now take a radical look at everything we're doing. I really mean it.
"Don't meet people we don't need to meet in the next two weeks - it's that simple.
"Don't meet people in closed settings... avoid people to your home as much as possible. With everybody doing the right thing, we can make a big difference."
