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Pubs and restaurants will close mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve and will remain closed throughout the festive period.
The measure to curb rising Covid-19 numbers will be discussed in cabinet on Tuesday after Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan briefed the cabinet subcommittee on the virus on Monday.
Dr. Holohan has told the government that he believes Level 5 restrictions will be needed sometime after Christmas.
Other measures will see personal services such as hair salons and salons close on Christmas Eve and the ban on travel to Ireland from the UK extended until New Year’s Eve. Galleries, museums and cinemas will also close on Thursday.
Non-essential retail will remain open, but sources say it will be subject to stricter controls on the numbers allowed in stores at once, and they are likely to return to the summer scenes of long lines outside the stores.
A source said the government announcement, to be made around noon on Tuesday, would likely see additional support announced for affected businesses.
However, a decision has yet to be made on when the restrictions on home visiting and inter-county travel will go into effect.
A source said that “there are still many details to be resolved” on those issues, however they are likely to be between December 26 and 28.
Sources added that Dr. Holohan’s presentation described the rapidly deteriorating situation in Ireland in handling the virus, with the message that “something must be done” echoing as cases surpassed 700 for the second day in a row.
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