Ireland is set for another 10 weeks at least of restrictions as Government put together a new Living with Covid plan which sees very few restrictions being changed.
In the reported updated guide, people will be able to travel up to 5km from their homes but are still not allowed meet outdoors until May.
According to the new road map being considered by the Government, it will be nearly three months before the country sees a large easing of lockdown as the health service struggles with various new variants of the virus.
The cabinet met with NPHET on Friday and were given a bleak outlook about the coming months according to reports.
The Taoiseach Micheal Martin and three of his ministers who were in attendance were told that there would be no easing of restrictions before the summer.
The only hope is that return of construction and reopening of schools fully may be possible before then.
The Government is to announce a revised Living with Covid plan next week and when asked what people could expect, Mr Martin first said “we are looking at a continuation of severe restrictions, certainly right into April.”
When pushed on the month of April, he added: “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.”
Speaking yesterday again, Mr Martin moved to downplay his comments and said a nine week extension of severe restrictions was not “set in stone.”
Mr Martin added: "The emphasis on the prioritisation right now is on schools, particularly the early years and then the Leaving Certificate cohort and childcare.
"We will review it on a monthly basis and the vaccine rollout may have an impact.
"We are beginning to see a reduction in the number of healthcare workers getting the virus and the outbreaks are coming down. “The authorities are saying there is evidence of the impact of the vaccination programme already, in terms it is reducing mortality."
