A more severe regime of restrictions on retail, travel and sport have come into force as part of Government measures aimed at bringing the spread of coronavirus under control.
All non-essential retail will close from 6pm this evening for at least a month, while gyms and swimming pools are also to close.
No social gatherings, including New Year's Eve celebrations, are allowed from today. All household visits are also banned and there will be a 5km limit on travel.
The Government has also decided to extend the ban on travel from the UK to January 6. Announcing the new measures yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that Covid-19 infection rates were growing "exponentially". "We must return to full-scale level 5 restrictions for a