Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that he expects an "exponential rise" in confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland every day for the next couple of weeks.

He said; "The objective is to flatten the curve but the curve has to rise exponentially before it decreases.

Varadkar revealed that the Republic of Ireland will more than likely see a 30% increase of cases every day, adding that the economic impact of this will be "severe".


Mr. Varadkar said; "Unfortunately a lot of people are going to lose their jobs and businesses will have to close.

"The economy is going to slow down dramatically but we are confident that it will bounce back.

"Our first priority is to help people who have lost their jobs to get the social protection they need."

The Taoiseach confirmed that the government will not be asking restaurants and cafes to close for now.

He said; "When it comes to restaurants, we will always act on the advice of the public health professionals and if they tell us to close that is what we will do but that is not what they are saying at the moment.

"I want to say to those people who have lost their jobs, support is there for you - whether you're unemployed or self-employed."

He said the government will work hard to ensure measures will be taken so that people who have lost their jobs can pay their mortgages and rent.