The Cabinet is due to make a final decision on details around the lifting of rules on mask-wearing in Ireland.
It has been suggested that the easing of measures could come into effect before the planned date of February 28.
While some have been protesting the news, others have been praising the step by the government to go ahead with the return to normality amid the pandemic.
The union representing workers in retail and public transport is urging extreme caution over the ending of mandatory mask rule in stores nationwide.
General secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Patricia King said she wants the rules to be kept in place for another few months, due to the number of daily cases and deaths.
“Personally, I think we should be cautious,” she said.
“This pandemic is not over. Another 19 people died last week. It’s not really a major effort to wear a mask and we should err on the side of caution.
“I think we should wait a few more months until we get nearer to a weather change when perhaps this will dissipate more.
“We’re still running at 10,000 to 11,000 cases a day. These are not really indicators that say, ‘lift everything and let the whole thing rip’.”
Meanwhile, Professor Paul Moynagh, director of the Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research said now is the best time to lift the long-running rule.
He told Newstalk Breakfast he believes we need to move past the restrictions and that if we don’t lift them amid Omicron, it could be months as new variants will continue to arise.
"I think we've reached that stage for a couple of reasons,” he said.
"One is in terms of the level of immunity we have in the population... and the second factor is I think the Omicron changed things quite a bit.
"We now have a variant that transmits incredibly well - but fortunately it is less severe, it's less virulent.
"And as a result, despite over the last number of months we've seen very high levels of infection, but they haven't translated into very high numbers... in terms of hospitalisation and serious illness".
He said “this virus is not going to go away” and that it will continue to develop and exist in various forms.
"There will be new variants.
"But if we don't leave the restrictions now, when will we lift them?
"That would be the question - when is the best time - and I think we've reached the stage where our protection is as good as we're going to get".
The Professor said despite the change in rules, those who want to continue wearing masks can do so freely.
"I think in terms of the effectiveness of the masks, yes I think they have value and they have benefits.
"As we move forward and out of this pandemic, I think we will make our own sort of individual evaluations in terms of risk.
"And some will continue to wear masks, some will continue - for example, if visiting a vulnerable relative - will continue to do antigen testing.
"So I think it will move more towards this personal evaluation of risk".
