Phase one of Ireland's opening roadmap is set to begin on Monday.
Groups of four will be allowed to meet outdoors and a number of other changes will be introduced under the new guidelines.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is expected to brief the nation again on the ongoing situation before Monday when he announces if Ireland is at a safe enough position to progress.
Here's all you need to know about that announcement and what to expect.
When will Taoiseach Leo Varadkar brief the nation?
The National Public Health Emergency Team are meeting this evening to discuss the latest developments in the battle against Covid-19.
They will also make a recommendation on whether or not to lift restrictions on May 18th, which is targeted as Ireland's first step in the "re-opening roadmap."
This recommendation will then be brought forward to the Cabinet on Friday morning with a final decision made in the afternoon.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is then expected to announce in a live briefing on Friday afternoon or evening if Ireland can move into phase one of the plan - you can get all the updates on that in our blog here.
What is expected?
Speaking at the Dail this morning, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was 'confident' that the first phase of the plan would go ahead from Monday.
The Taoiseach said: "We are seeing what we can achieve when we put the needs of the many above the needs of the few," he said.
"The first steps to reawaken our economy will be done in a slow and gradual way.
"As we are seeing around the world, it is not a straight path. Sometimes progress is halted and there are setbacks.
"Whilst every death is of concern, in the last seven days we've seen the lowest daily number of deaths and cases since March."
What restrictions will be lifted on May 18th?
- allow outdoor meetings between people from different households
- open up childcare for healthcare workers
- phased return of outdoor workers
- open retailers which are primarily outdoor or those which were open during first level of restriction (e.g. opticians), and
- opening of certain outdoor public amenities
Read the full list here.
