The country could be facing increased traffic jams on Irish roads as gardai ramp up checkpoints as level 3 restrictions come into effect.
From midnight people are being encouraged not to travel out of their county unless for essential reasons.
And as part of Operation Fanacht gardai have said there will be high visibility on the roads with 132 large-scale checkpoints a day being set up on main arterial routes around the country.
There will also be thousands of mobile checkpoints on secondary routes in towns and villages a week.
Speaking yesterday Garda Commissioner Drew Harris warned that road users are likely to face delays as checkpoints pop up around the country.
"This will be a major policing operation across the country with high visibility of Garda members to support public health measures.
"An Garda Síochána is encouraging people not to travel out of their county unless it is for essential purposes.
"We want to advise people that will be conducting major checkpoints on main routes and travelling by road from tomorrow will be different from travelling today. People using the roads are likely to face delays.
"Since the start of the pandemic, An Garda Síochána has adopted a graduated policing approach based on its tradition of consent. We have seen compliance by the vast majority of the public with this approach. Independent surveys have also found significant public support for it. We will continue to police in this way.
"We have also had a strong focus on the protecting and supporting the vulnerable. That will continue as well. If you need our help, please contact your local Garda station.
"As an organisation rooted in the community, An Garda Síochána understands the difficulties these measures place on everybody. More than ever, we all need to work together and adhere to public health guidelines and regulations to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.”
On Monday the government made the decision to move the entire country to Level 3 restrictions despite a recommendation from NPHET to move to level 5.
Dublin and Donegal have already previously been placed under level 3 restrictions due to continued rising cases.
Under the guidelines people are being urged not to travel outside of their county unless for essential purposes.
There are also strict rules on social gatherings while pubs, restaurants and cafes can no longer serve customers for indoor dining.
Gardai are also set to ramp up checks of bars and pubs to make sure they are following public health guidelines.
