Coronavirus: Ireland imposes Europe's toughest COVID-19 lockdown

Dublin: Ireland announced some of Europe’s toughest COVID-19 constraints on Monday, shutting non-essential retail, limiting restaurants and pubs to take away service and telling people not to travel more than five kilometres from their home.

Ireland imposed one of Europe’s longest lockdowns during the first surge in cases and has tightened restrictions over the last number of weeks as infections climbed again.

Unlike the first lockdown, this time schools will stay open and essential services such as construction allowed to continue, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said as he moved the country to the highest level of restrictions, Level 5, for six weeks.