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The 5km exercise limit could be lowered to 2km if current restrictions do not alleviate the current rise in Covid-19, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said.
The Green Party leader said the government will have to “wait and see” if the current restrictions that will apply until January 31 work.
He said that if cases still don’t decline in a week or two, this measure could be rolled out across the country.
Speaking at Newstalk’s On record with Gavan ReillyMinister Ryan told Séan Defoe that “always” more can be done to suppress the virus, and one of them is to reduce “the level of contacts we have.”
He added: “Whether it is, for example, reducing travel restrictions from 5km to 2km, which we did last March and April and a number of different measures that could be considered then.
“That’s for a week or two if we find that the numbers don’t start to flatten out and then decline.”
On schools, Minister Ryan said the plan remains that students will return to school on January 11.
This comes amid growing concern among the rising rate of Covid-19 cases among school-age children.
Yesterday, the Labor Party announced that it is asking the government to request Nphet to carry out a public health risk assessment on the reopening of schools from January 11.
However, the party said it prefers schools to reopen only if it is safe to do so.
TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labor Education spokesperson, said the government’s decision to delay the reopening of schools until January 11 is welcome, but that there must be a proper assessment of the public health risk for staff, students and the wider community.
Yesterday, 3,394 record cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the Republic of Ireland along with four more deaths.
Dr Tony Holohan, CMO, said that the Covid-19 incidence rate is now likely higher than it was in March.
He added: “Every individual must act as if they are contagious. Hospitalizations are increasing to levels close to what we saw in the spring. Everyone needs to stay home, except for essential jobs or care. “
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