In what could be described as very watered-down lockdown measures compared to the UK, the Irish government has gone with a completely different response.
In a briefing today, the government has announced that emergency measures have been extended until at least Sunday the 19th of April. Public gatherings of more than four people are being restricted. Cinemas, theatres, gyms, hairdressers, casinos and bingo halls are all to close.
Finance measures have been issued to help those who have lost or will lose their jobs, including the self-employed with benefits starting at €203 going up to €350.
The Dail and Seanad will enact emergency legislation by the end of this week. Schools will remain closed until at least April 19th.
The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar sounded like he gave mixed messages in relation to a lockdown like the UK has now imposed but emphasised that he would not use the word lockdown because people could take different things from that word.
The chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said that the extra measures announced were needed to move rapidly to tackle the spread of the coronavirus as we now have 1,125 confirmed cases of covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland.
This story is developing.
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