Nine more weeks of Level 5 lockdown are now likely for the Republic of Ireland, according to reports.
The Cabinet Covid-19 Committee last night discussed keeping tight measures in place until May, while plans remain for some schoolchildren to return to classrooms in March.
An Taoiseach Michael Martin told the Irish Mirror that significant restrictions will remain until the end of April.
When parts of the economy start to reopen, Mr Martin said the changes will be ‘modest’.
“We are looking at a continuation of severe restrictions certainly right into April,” Mr Martin told the Mirror.
“We’ll have some look at construction but then again it won’t be a full return to construction, we’ll assess what the public health advice is.
“We’ve already certainly indicated that beyond Easter we’ll look at it again but until the end of April you can look at significant restrictions and we’ll review it after that then because we’ll have to see where we are.”
The government is currently revising its Living with Covid plan, with details to be finalised next week.
Any decisions on extending lockdown will not be confirmed until a full Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
