A raft of new restrictions will be imposed in Dublin from midnight tonight.

The Cabinet is set to move the capital to Level Three of the Government’s ‘Living With Covid-19’ risk rating later today, on the recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team.

A further 240 cases of coronavirus were confirmed across the country yesterday, half of which were identified in Dublin.

“50% of today’s cases are in Dublin. We are seeing a higher proportion of cases in older age groups.” said acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn.

“Act now to save lives. Limit your contacts as much as possible. Assume you and those you meet are infectious, keep your distance and do your part to keep others safe.”

The Level Two risk rating currently in place in all counties outside of Dublin will remain the same.

What will it mean?

As part of the Level Three restriction framework, people living in Dublin will be asked to remain in the county and visitors will be asked to avoid travelling to the county except for essential work or education reasons.

In Dublin we are seeing a particularly high incidence rate of Covid. We are at a critical juncture. We will need a united and collective effort to reduce transmission. Please reduce your social contacts and follow public health advice.

— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) September 17, 2020

Householders are asked to limit visitors to friends or family from one other household and no social or family gatherings should take place in other settings.

Retail services such as hairdressers, beauticians and shopping centres can remain open with protective measures in place, but indoor dining will be prohibited in restaurants and pubs that serve food.

It is understood that ‘wet pubs’, or pubs that do not serve food will not be permitted to open in Dublin as bars in other counties reopen on Monday.