With Ireland well into Phase 3 of the reopening roadmap - and some restrictions were lifted earlier than planned - this country has done well to reach this point in the battle with coronavirus.
But the Cabinet has now decided to pause the move to Phase 4 and take a cautious approach. The R number, which is the average number of people one person will infect, has risen above 1 and is now between 1.2 and 1.8.
The debate about the wearing of masks or face coverings and the benefits these have in protecting against Covid-19 has been a lengthy one.
Face coverings have been legally mandatory on public transport since last Monday. Soon they will have to be worn in shops and in other indoor settings, when new regulations are signed.