Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Taoiseach has announced, in an address to the nation, that the current COVID-19 restrictions will be extended until 18 May.
Mr Varadkar said two more weeks of tight restrictions are needed to weaken the virus further.
In a briefing this evening, he has said that people over 70 who have been cocooning should continue to do so but they can go outside their homes for exercise, or a 5km drive from Tuesday, if they avoid all contact with other people.
He also said the 2km limit that is currently in place for exercise for the general population is set to be extended to 5km.
Mr Varadkar said the virus has transformed our lives in ways we could not have imagined.
Mr Varadkar said the risk of a second phase of the virus is ever present.
The Taoiseach set out a road map with five steps for how Irish society and the economy can be re-opened. The stages will be three weeks apart starting on 18 May.
He said we can only move from one stage to the next if we can keep the virus under control.
Mr Varadkar also said that outdoor workers will be able to return to work in two weeks' time on 18 May.
From 18 May, some retail outlets like garden centres, hardware stores
and repair shops will reopen. Some sporting activities in small groups
will be allowed.
He said many regular health services will resume operating and it
will be possible to meet friends and family in small groups outdoors.
He said we have not yet won the fight and too many people are in intensive care units with Covid-19 and we have too many deaths.
He said if the restrictions are lifted too early, everything we have achieved would be lost and we could be back to square one.
He said our physical health has been attacked, the economy battered and society put to the ultimate test.
Mr Varadkar said that in later phases restaurants, pre-schools, cafes, bars, cinemas and gyms will reopen.
He said schools and colleges will reopen in September/October at the start of the academic year.
He said businesses will need help to get going again and he said
Cabinet would meet tomorrow to discuss how to get businesses to
restart.
The Taoiseach said a national protocol was being developed which
would enable a gradual restart of economic activity while protecting
workers as they return to work.
He said the Government would do everything it can to get businesses up and running again.
Mr Varadkar said that the virus is cruel and inhumane but he said the stories he is hearing are ones of human kindness.
He said the tragedy of every death is made far worse by the fact that we have been unable to come together to mourn.
The Taoiseach said that people have met the demands of the crisis with remarkable courage and a sense of solidarity.
He said everyone had their own stories and each one combines to form a
tapestry of sorrow. However, he said thousands of lives have been saved
because of people's sacrifices.
He said there was hope which would drive us forward in the weeks ahead.
The Taoiseach concluded the address by reading from a selection of correspondence he has received.
He will be appearing on tonight's Late Late Show.
