The Taoiseach has said that Covid-19 restrictions will be in place for at least the first six months of the year.
Micheál Martin said the government is taking a “cautious, conservative” approach to lifting restrictions “for the first half of this year”, as Ireland deals with the third wave of the pandemic.
However, he said this does not mean six months of “lockdown”.
“By the summer we will be in a changed environment because of the large-scale vaccination that will have been achieved by then.”
In terms of schools reopening, Martin warned that schools may remain closed until St Patrick’s Day. “The full million won’t be back” by this date, he said.