Inter-county travel may be permitted until 6 January

It is also believed that restaurants and bars serving food will be allowed to remain open until 30 December.

Inter-county travel may be permitted until 6 January, despite lockdown restrictions being lifted earlier than expected. This comes after NPHET advised a halt to inter-county travel and a limit on visitors to one other household. As it stands, up to three households can gather together until 6 January. According to RTÉ, restaurants and bars serving food will be allowed to continue trading up until 30 December. Th plans are currently being discussed by the government. This comes after Micheál Martin announced on Thursday that Ireland can expect to see further Covid-19 restrictions before the end of the year. He said that the National Public Health Emergency Team would be recommending to shorten the relaxation period of current restrictions, meaning they would finish earlier than the original 6 January date. Martin also said that the Cabinet would meet on Tuesday to discuss the recommendations and make a decision. He said it would give people time to prepare for any changes. Friday saw 582 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland, as well as six more deaths. A further update will take place on Saturday evening.