The acting Chief Medical Officer has said recommendations about reopening pubs on 10 August will be most appropriately made in a couple of weeks' time.
But Dr Ronan Glynn said they could not do anything to jeopardise the overarching priorities of getting healthcare services restarted and getting children back to school.
Dr Glynn said Ireland was at the start of something positive, as he gave an optimistic briefing at the Department of Health.
The rise in the number of new cases of Covid-19 that had worried health officials has tapered off. The number of people testing positive is very low and the R rate of the virus is also estimated to be going down again.