CORONAVIRUS LATEST: Lockdown in the Republic - Everybody now must stay at home, says Taoiseach as stricter restrictions come into effect from midnight tonight
Short exercise allowed within 2km of home
An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has just announced a number of stricter measures for the people of Ireland in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.
While he is reluctant to use the phrase 'full lockdown' because the term "means different things to different people", he has admitted that there are no measures more restrictive than this.
Everyone in Ireland must now stay at home for two weeks unless they fit into the following criteria:
- Essential workers travelling to and from work
- Shopping for food or attending medical appointments
- Essential family functions such as care for children and the elderly
- Brief exercise but only within 2km of home
There is now to be no gathering outside the household, publicly or privately.
"These are radical actions aimed at saving as many lives as possible. We are not prisoners of fate. We can influence what's going to happen to us next," said Mr Varadkar
"Freedom was hard won in our country and it jars with us to restrict liberties even temporarily. We're asking people to give meaning to our freedom and liberty by agreeing to these restrictions."