The government has been urged by public health officials to begin a six-week lockdown from St Stephen’s Day with data suggesting that the new variant of Covid-19 is in Ireland.
Planned to come into effect at midnight, the lockdown would see non-essential retail close and household visits banned.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly described the current situation as the most serious situation since he became health minister as there is a combination of rising infection rates and new variants from the UK and South Africa.
In regards to the reopening of schools in January, Dr Tony Holohan stated, “we are not raising any issue about that at this point in time.”