"Not just in Ireland but the world over..."

Simon Harris has said that social distancing is likely to remain "part of life" until a vaccine for Covid-19 becomes available. The Minister for Health said yesterday that the restrictions put in place to curb the spread of the virus will not be lifted on May 5 but they may be "tweaked" somewhat. Minister Harris added that there is "not going to be a magic point" at the beginning of May where life in Ireland returns to normal.

“We may arrive at a point where we can begin to tweak and change some of the restrictions because I am really conscious the current situation is not sustainable forever,” he said.

“I think, being truthful, social distancing is going to remain a very big part of life not just in Ireland but the world over until we get to a vaccine or effective treatment for the coronavirus."

Ireland's current Covid-19 restrictions are in place until May 5. The government will then decide how best to move forward with social distancing as well as business and service closures. It is expected that a vaccine for Covid-19 will not become available for at least 12 months, although some scientists are hopeful that treatment could arrive for high risk groups as early as September. Minister Harris said that the next three weeks are "so important" for stopping the spread of the virus and for saving lives. He said that if the current measures are continued to be adhered to, a conversation will be had about where the country moves in terms of social distancing. Ireland currently has 9,655 confirmed cases of Covid-19. The death toll stands at 365.