PUBS and restaurants in Dublin will be forced to close for three weeks in an attempt to try and suppress the recent surge in Covid-19 cases in the city.
It's understood that facilities with outdoor seating will be allowed to stay open, though they'll only be able to serve customers in those specific outdoor areas.
Cabinet sources also indicate that pubs, restaurants and cafes will be allowed to sell takeaways over the three week period too.
'Wet' pubs will not be allowed to reopen on Monday though, unlike throughout the rest of the country.
No announcement has been made yet but a Government meeting to discuss implementing Level 3 restrictions in the Irish capital is set to take place over the next 24 hours.
It's understood that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will be part of the meeting and will be giving their recommendations.
According to the Irish Daily Mail, a senior Government source said that Covid-19 figures are "so high indoors" and that "something had to be done to get the public to avoid pubs and restaurants."
"We are moving to Level 3 for Dublin and as numbers are so high because of people meeting indoors we had to get the public to avoid pubs and restaurants for three weeks," the source added.
"This is Level 3 to the max, so outdoor dining only and takeaway."
It's been reported that NPHET advised the Government that pubs and restaurants should only be allowed to serve a small amount of people in their outdoor areas.
So, in effect, the Government is placing Dublin on Level 3 restrictions, with Level 4 for pubs and restaurants.
