The government is preparing to announce Level 5 lockdown restrictions for the entire country for the next six weeks.
Cabinet Ministers met at 4pm to discuss NPHET's recommendation, which has been agreed on by the government party leaders.
Daniel McConnell, political editor of the Irish Examiner, told The Last Word that schools are expected to remain open under the new restrictions, with construction and manufacturing work also set to continue. This differs from the situation under the previous nationwide lockdown.
There will also be a ban on evictions, and a 5 km restriction may apply to movement around your home.
He joined us to outline everything we know so far.