Covid 19 restrictions will be extended for another 2 weeks with few changes.
From May 5th the travel limit will increase from 2 to 5 kilometres and there has been a change in the advice for older people who are cocooning that they can start to leave their homes for exercise if they avoid all contact with other people.
The measures were agreed by cabinet earlier, following recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says Ireland will begin to reopen from the 18th of May and the lifting of restrictions would be done on a phased basis.
The 5th and final phase will start on the 10th of August.
The announcement come as 34 more people who were diagnosed with Covid-19 have died in Ireland.
There have also been 221 more cases of the coronavirus diagnosed here,according to the Department of Health – bringing the number of confirmed cases to 20,833.
There have been 13 new Covid-19 cases confirmed locally bring the total to 350.
8 new positive test results have been recorded in Kilkenny, while Carlow has 5 more.
In Northern Ireland, health authorities reported a further 18 deaths as a result of Covid-19, bringing the total figure to 365.
