Measures that would allow people to be detained on foot of a medical recommendation if they have the Covid-19 coronavirus and refuse to self-isolate have been signed off on by the Cabinet.
The Cabinet held an incorporeal meeting this evening to sign off on emergency legislation and regulations dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.
It will be passed by the Dáil during a short sitting on Thursday afternoon. The measures will also give the Government the legal power to shut down mass gatherings.
The regulations build on legislation introduced in 1948 to fight the spread of infectious diseases including tuberculosis, the major public health problem of the time.