(CNN) Schools, colleges and childcare facilities will be closed in the Republic of Ireland from Friday as part of a nationwide effort to halt the spread of coronavirus, the country's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Thursday.

The closures will also apply to cultural institutions and will remain in place until March 29.

Indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people will also be canceled, he said at a press conference in Washington.

We have not witnessed a pandemic of this nature in living memory," Varadkar said. "And this is unchartered territory for us."

"We said we would take the right actions at the right time and we have to move now to have the greatest impact.

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