The Minister for Health has urged people not to “clock up lots of close contacts” with people as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

Under the new Roadmap for Reopening, people can meet in groups of up to six from Monday – and in larger groups for non-contact sports.

Meanwhile, shops across the country are reopening and people will be permitted to travel further than 20k, provided it is within their own county limits.

Speaking this afternoon, Health Minister Simon Harris said we “really need to proceed with caution and with care” as restrictions are eased.

“We have a duty to each other to keep our close contacts low,” he said

“We don’t need to meet three people in the morning and a different five friends in the afternoon and a different group of people in the evening and then go and see our granny at night.

“We don’t need to try and clock up lots of close contacts because we do know that, of the new case in Ireland around 60%, of them are from close contacts.”

He said the amount of contact we each have will naturally increase as we start to move around more and said, “we all have a duty of care to keep those close contacts at an acceptable level.”

Mary Masterson of Kitchen Whisk on Wicklow Street in Dublin getting ready for reopening on Monday, 05-06-2020. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

He also urged people to show “cop-on and common sense” as the shops reopen from next week.

“As we try to move around a little bit more and as we try to commence a normal life or at least a new normal over the next couple of phases, with that comes a greater requirement on us when it comes to things like social distancing,” he said.

“Just because all the shops may open, it doesn’t mean we all need to go in there at once.

“We want to see the shops open; we want to see them open in a safe manner and we want them to stay open.

“So, the shop that opens on Monday will be open on Tuesday, will be open again on Wednesday and will be open again next Monday.

“We don’t all need to rush there at once and when we do go, we need to keep our social distance, watch our hand hygiene and consider face masks.”

Darcey Skelly wearing a face mask cleaning MUJI on Chatham Street in Dublin in preparation for reopening on Monday, 05-06-2020. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

He said he concerned that not enough people are wearing face masks – and urged people to make more use of them, especially in enclosed spaces and on public transport.