Covid-19: This week 'the important week' in roadmap decision as health team meets to decide
It is widely expected the country's top public health doctors will today recommend moving to phase two of lifting Covid-19 restrictions next Monday.
The National Public Health Emergency Team meets this morning to discuss the roadmap for reopening the country, along with whether playgrounds can reopen and summer camps can go ahead earlier than planned.
Some special education classes may also be able to resume.
A further three people with Covid-19 have died, bringing the death toll to 1,659, while 47 new cases have been detected.
Chief medical officer Tony Holohan is confident phase two will come into effect next week.
Dr Holohan said: "Well, our planning assumption is that we'll get there, we don't know for certain, but as yet in terms of the detailed data there is nothing suggesting to us at this point in time that we won't be in a position to make that recommendation.
"But I think we need to allow the remaining days of the week to elapse. Week three in a three-week cycle is the important week and we're keeping a very close eye on the figures."
Meanwhile, shops in Dublin city will have to enforce a strict regime when they reopen on Monday.
Guidelines from the council say business owners will have to make sure customers do not queue past the length of their shop front, barriers cannot be used and footpaths must be kept clear.
Dublin City Council will be marking the ground with queueing icons on the main pedestrianised streets in the city centre and O’Connell Street, and is asking shops to consider operating on an appointment-only basis, according to the Irish Times.
