Draft guidelines issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) have indicated that restaurants and pubs that serve food may be able to reduce the two-metre physical distancing restriction to one metre in certain circumstances when they reopen later this month.
But it is understood that those circumstances include limiting the length of stay in the pub or restaurant to a maximum of 90 minutes, while customers would also have to pre-book before making a visit.
The draft document, 'Covid-19: Guidance for Food Service Businesses', was drawn up by the HPSC following a request for further clarity from tourism agency, Fáilte Ireland.