Taoiseach Micheal Martin has refused to say whether or not the current lockdown will be lifted from March 5 as the country faces six more weeks of restrictions.
The Government today confirmed that lockdown will remain in place until March 5 in a bid to further crush the spread of Covid-19.
And a series of extra measures on foreign travel and more Garda enforcement will also be introduced as a result.
The country is now facing a prolonged third lockdown with Micheal Martin refusing to say that it would end in six weeks time.
Speaking during a press briefing this evening the Taoiseach said "there are no guarantees" lockdown will end at that date.
He did offer some optimism that "we might do better" than anticipated in terms of bringing the number of cases down however for now the restrictions will be reviewed on March 5 when a decision will be made.
During the press briefing Mr Martin also said that current restrictions are having a "positive impact" on prevalence of Covid in the community but he insisted that numbers in hospital are still "too high".
Echoing the words of Tanaiste Leo Varadkar last night Martin said that he does not think a Zero Covid strategy is 'possible or sustainable'.
He says that Ireland cannot seal the border and "likewise with the UK" and then Europe. Martin noted that suppression "can be effective" with vaccine rollout.
"The sense is, we've never been advised to go into zero Covid, I don't think it's possible or sustainable… it was put to us last evening [by NPHET], it's a promise you could never fulfil… one you open again there is a prospect of reseeding of the virus."
