Pubs and restaurants could remain closed well beyond this date.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has indicated that “severe” lockdown measures were likely to remain in place until at least the end of April, in a bid to cut cases of Covid-19 across Ireland.
This would mean another nine weeks of restrictions pretty much the way they are.
Speaking to Dublin Live, Micheál Martin said that services like pubs, restuarants and hairdressers could also be closed well beyond the end of April. He also ruled out a full return to the construction sector by March 5.
The priority is now children returning to schools on a phased basis beginning with junior and senior infants and Leaving Cert students.
Mr Martin said: “We are looking at a continuation of severe restrictions certainly right into April. We’ll have some look at construction but then again it won’t be a full return to construction, we’ll assess what the public health advice is.
“We’ve already certainly indicated that beyond Easter we’ll look at it again but until the end of April you can look at significant restrictions and we’ll review it after that then because we’ll have to see where we are.”
He did however, say there is hope coming in the form of 1.2 million vaccines expected to be dished out each month.
He added: “It is going to be challenging for people, it’s been a long lockdown already and I would say to people it’s worth it…”