Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced the closure of all non-essential retail outlets as one of the new COVID-19 restrictions, at a press conference that took place in Dublin this afternoon.
The Government will provide a list of essential retail outlets which can remain open in due course.
The retailers that are permitted to remain open must adhere to social distancing guidelines.
Other notable measures implemented by the Government this afternoon outlined that factories or construction sites should not have to shut - and authorities can work with them to make sure physical distancing is possible.
Restaurants have been ordered to restrict their services to take-away only.
The Government advises that outside gatherings should consist of no more than four people.
The restrictions have been extended by a further three weeks until Sunday 19 April.
Financial Support
The Government is set to increase the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Support payment for people who have been laid-off due to the virus from €203 to €350, it was announced this afternoon.
The payment will also apply to the self-employed affected by the virus.
An emergency wage subsidy scheme was also unveiled at the briefing, whereby the Government will pay 70% of a workers salary.
The scheme will initially run for 12 weeks, and employers will be free to top-up the government's subsidy of the salary.
The wage subsidy scheme will reportedly cost in the region of €3.7 billion.
© 2020 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. Click sign-up to subscribe to Checkout.
