Ireland will impose an 8pm curfew for hospitality venues as part of a host of new measures aimed at slowing the spread of the Omicron variant, Sky News reports.
In an address to the nation, Taoiseach Micheal Martin said, if left unchecked the new strain could pose a very real threat to hospitals in Ireland.
"It spreads so aggressively throughout all age groups that we are likely to see infections at a rate that is far in excess of anything we have seen to date. It is that serious." he said.
The new rules will come into force on Sunday 19 December and will last until 30 January.
Restaurants and bars should close at 8pm, with no indoor events after this time.
Venues should run at reduced capacity - for indoor venues it is 50% of capacity, or 1,000 people (whichever is lower) and outdoor events should be limited to 50% or 5,000 people (whichever is lower).
For close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case, if they have received a booster more than one week ago they will have to restrict their movement for five days and take three antigen tests.
