Schools and childcare facilities are set to start reopening from early March, but other level five restrictions will remain in place until at least April 5th.
It follows a meeting of the Cabinet COVID-19 sub-committee on Monday evening, ahead of a full Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Ministers are set to sign off on a new 'living with COVID' plan, which is set to be published tomorrow.
For now, however, the vast majority of lockdown restrictions are set to remain in place, pending full Cabinet approval.
Cabinet sub-committee meeting over.
- Schools to re-open from March 1st
- Childcare back with ECCE children March 8th
- No other restrictions lifting in March
- Home construction to remain shut for another month
- Review date for all Level 5 measures on April 5th— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) February 22, 2021
Schools will start reopening on a phased basis from March 1st - initially with Leaving Cert students, and primary school students from junior infants to second class.
There'll be two other phases for schools reopening, on March 15th (fifth years and all other primary school classes) and April 12th (all remaining secondary school classes).
Stephen Donnelly saying on @ClaireByrneLive that the deal with schools isn't done yet. Some of the Ministers he met with this evening saying it's agreed on the above timeline
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) February 22, 2021
Childcare will also start to return from March 8th on a staggered basis, starting with those on the ECCE scheme.
House building won't resume for another month, with the construction sector to remain largely closed through March.
All level five measures will be reviewed again on April 5th.
The update to the living with COVID plan will not be similar to the lockdown exit plan announced in the UK today.
No dates will be given beyond April for the easing of restrictions.
There will, however, be an update to the vaccine timeline and the review of the priority list.
