Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the Government wants to try and avoid a lockdown but the "danger and challenge is always there".
Asked by the Irish Mirror if he would consider a lockdown, especially if it could keep schools open, the Fianna Fail leader said the Government had introduced recent measures to ensure we don't get to that stage, but the situation is "fluid".
Mr Martin made the remarks on a visit to Raheen in Co Limerick, where he helped to announce 400 jobs at a Regeneron plant in the area.
It follows Health Minister Stephen Donnelly saying that Ireland could be looking at another national lockdown, during a Covid Special Committee hearing.
He added: "Obviously, the way the numbers are going, NPHET are constantly wary of that prospect.
"The reason we adopted the measures last week was to make sure we don't get to that situation.
"But it's fluid.
"The big story this week is the reopening of our schools - a million people between students and teachers coming back into our schools.
"We have been visiting schools on different days to see the extraordinary work that teachers and SNAs and school management [have done], really very good stuff to see the contribution they have made.
"Our strategy is to live with Covid-19, to protect jobs, particularly in manufacturing facilities like the one we visited this morning, to get our schools open again and to resume our health services.
"And by taking the measures we have taken we want to try and avoid a lockdown but the danger and challenge is always there."
