No return to lockdown - but lifting of remaining restrictions unlikely

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has confirmed his government will not be reintroducing restrictions to curb the surge in Covid-19 cases.

However the planned lifting of the remaining restrictions on October 22 look certain to be postponed.

He told the Sunday Independent: “We do not want to go back, and we are not contemplating going backwards.

"The only issue facing us now is going forward.

"We are not looking at the same situation as last year. We are looking at a completely different approach."

Ahead of a briefing from public health advisers NPHET tomorrow, the Government is, however, ready to pause the lifting of remaining restrictions until the latest surge is under control.

The government is also set to increase spot-check inspections of vaccination certificates in pubs and restaurants to stem the rise of Covid.