Everyone over the age of 13 is being advised to wear face coverings in situations where it is difficult to practice proper social distancing.

The new guidelines were announced as the Government confirmed that the first phase of the roadmap for reopening the country could begin next week.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there would be no legal requirement to wear a face covering in any situation and warned that good hygiene and coughing etiquette are more important than ever.

“We will be asking people to wear them in busy enclosed spaces like a shop but it is not going to be a legal requirement,” he said.

“The reason for that is that while all the science around it indicates it may be beneficial, it is not a substitute for washing your hands properly and social distancing.”

It is advised to wear a face covering in situations where social distancing is not possible such as shops or public transport.

They are not a replacement for washing hands, or keeping the 2m distance from others when outdoors. #COVID19 #WashYourHands pic.twitter.com/RfLrQxKEgL

— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) May 15, 2020

Meanwhile, the Health Minister Simon Harris warned that anyone not wearing a mask should not be criticised or judged.

The Government has released detailed guidelines on how coverings should be used – including videos on how they can be made at home.

The Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan warned that the coverings are by no means a “magic bullet” for the virus – and said they should only be used alongside standard public health measures.

“We are concerned if the message was to get out about the value of face coverings and to be interpreted in a way by people that meant that maybe, ‘we don’t need to worry about washing our hands as much’ or ‘if we wear a face covering we can disregard the requirements in terms of social distancing’ – that is not the case,” he said.

“Hand washing has to be maintained – we don’t want the message to get out that people do not have to wash their hands or social distance.”

The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan at a COVID-19 briefing in the Department of Health, 14-05-2020. Image: Rory Walsh/Newstalk

He said the evidence the value of coverings to protect from the disease is “not very strong,” noting that “we have evidence that with this disease, hand transmission is key.”

“Face coverings are an additional hygiene measure. It is not a magic bullet for this disease and that has to be understood,” he said.

The Government guidance on face coverings notes that they should:

• Cover the nose and go under the chin
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• Be secured with ties or ear loops
• Include at least 2 layers of fabric
• Allow for breathing without restriction

You should always wash your hands before and after putting them on. If you lower it to speak, eat and smoke or vape you should wash your hands again and swap it out for a spare.

Spares should be kept in a sealable clean waterproof bag and used masks should be put into a similar bag to be brought home and washed.

They should be washed every night at over 60 degrees with detergent.

Phase one

From Monday, up to four people can meet outdoors and some public sports like tennis and golf can resume.

People are still restricted to 5km radius of their home in most circumstances and must follow social distancing guidelines.

Meanwhile, hardware and DIY stores can reopen along with construction sites; however, homeware stores will have to remain shut.