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By Michelle Crean

In a live address to the nation this evening (Friday) Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced that most restrictions will remain until May 18 – with a few slight changes:

• Exercise limit extended to 5km

• Five stage reopening plan with the fifth stage starting on August 10

• Over 70s can leave home from Tuesday - public health advice is 5km for a walk or drive - but avoid all contact with others

• Schools and colleges to go back in September for the new term

• From May 18 certain businesses can open, sports activities allowed in small groups, and gatherings of small family/friends will also be OK

It has been a difficult balancing act for the Government in terms of the economy, the social and mental health impacts, as there’s a fear that if restrictions are lifted too fast cases will soar. This evening the Dept. of health announced that there are currently a total of 20,833 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland and 1,265* COVID-19 related deaths in Ireland, including 34 today.

“We need two more weeks of tight restrictions to weaken the virus further, so it doesn’t have the strength to come back,” he said, stating the economy “has been battered” and “society put to the ultimate test”.

“We have a plan to reopen the country in a slow staged phased way – five stages, three weeks apart starting on May 18, with the fifth phase on August 10.”

He added that 70 percent of people diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered, and that if the public hadn’t worked so hard it could have potentially been much worse.

“I yearn for the day that it stops. Thanks to you we are making a difference in the fight against COVID-19. It is working so let’s finish what we started,” Mr Varadkar said.

He finished by saying that tomorrow morning (Saturday) Cabinet will meet to discuss when businesses can restart again.

“We will do everything possible to get enterprises back up and running. Tonight there is hope. In the weeks ahead that hope will drive us forward.”