Panic buyers are flocking to Smyths toy stores across the country with huge queues outside.
The toy store on the Kinsale road in Cork as well as the Airside Retail Park in Dublin are both flooded with people this morning.
Queues stretch right around the stores with people socially distancing as they wait to get inside.
Dave Dalton who works next door to the Kinsale Road shop said there are queues both ways for both click and collect and shopping in store.
He said there are around 40 to 50 people in each queue.
Tony Smyth was outside Smyths in Carrickmines and said it took him about 30 minutes to get into the shop.
The panic Christmas shopping has been brought on by the leaks on Sunday night that NPHET want to move Ireland to level four.
If level five was to be agreed upon, non-essential shops like Smyths would have to close down for a time.
Cabinet are set to meet later today after NPHET sent shockwaves through the country with their second lockdown recommendation.
The three party leaders, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tanáiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will meet Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan this morning.
Opposition parties are set to be briefed after the Coalition leaders meet the CMO and are demanding to know the data which has led NPHET to recommend level 5.
You can follow all the latest details on our live blog right here.
