The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet this morning to consider testing every resident in direct provision for Covid-19.
Latest figures show there are 164 cases of the virus in asylum seeker accommodation, up from 88 last Saturday.
NPHET is concerned about clusters among workers in meat plants and is considering carrying out tests in factories too.
A further 29 people with Covid-19 have lost their lives, bringing the death toll to 1,403, while there are 22,385 confirmed cases.
Chief medical officer Tony Holohan says priority testing needs to focus on other areas of concern, apart from nursing homes.
