Cabinet has agreed to end virtually all COVID restrictions from tomorrow morning.
Restrictions on all indoor and outdoor events, including pubs and restaurants, nightclubs, family visits, sporting events and concerts, will end from 6am tomorrow morning.
A requirement to social distance and the Covid pass requirement will also end, though it will still be required for international travel, as Cabinet and NPHET take a dramatic U-turn following some of the highest COVID case figures seen since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.
Mask wearing rules will remain in place, after a NPHET meeting yesterday, that saw a letter to government green-lighting the easing of all restrictions in place.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said earlier if there is no health rationale for a particular restriction then there is no political reason for it either.
"We'll need to do a little bit of work today on the timing," he said
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The gradual return to the workplace will begin from Monday, and government will now look at ceasing COVID supports in place, like the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is to address the nation tonight from 6pm, and announce the full reopening of society, months before many had predicted.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says case numbers will likely go up as a result of this, but the balance of risk is right:
"Get on with your life, you know.
"There are some precautions you may want to take to manage the risk, but it is time to get on with your life.
"But we really do need to be so conscious of so many people who are still very nervous and have lived through that. We need to listen to them and give the right advice, and not say continue to be in fear"
