County Roscommon still has less than five coronavirus cases, according to Department of Health figures.
204 more cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Tuesday evening, bringing the total in the Republic of Ireland to 1,329. As of Wednesday morning, there have now been seven Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland. As of midnight on Monday, 17,992 tests have been carried out in laboratories across the country.
As the emergency wreaks havoc on the economy, several hundred small businesses in County Roscommon have closed, with thousands of temporary job losses.
Roscommon’s towns and villages are eerily quiet, with many people working from home and most people remaining indoors except for excursions to the shop, their place of work or for exercise.
A further range of local businesses closed (temporarily) this week as the Government announced further stringent measures aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was asking people to stay at home, unless they could not work from home.
Schools and childcare facilities will remain closed until the 19th of April. Non-essential retail businesses and facilities are to close, effective from midnight on Tuesday.
The following recommendations were made by the National Public Health Emergency Team and adopted by Government at a meeting on Tuesday:
* Individuals should work from home unless attendance at the workplace is absolutely essential.
* Non-essential retail outlets are to close to members of the public. Essential retail outlets are to implement strict physical distancing measures.
* All sporting events are cancelled, including those behind closed doors.
* All playgrounds and holiday/caravan parks are closed.
* All cafes and restaurants are to operate on a take-away or delivery basis. Strict physical distancing measures apply to queuing for this service.
* People should not use public transport unless it is absolutely necessary.
