The seven-day isolation rule for those who contract Covid could be reduced to five days in a review being carried out by the Chief Medical Officer.
Dr Tony Holohan, who recently announced he will be stepping down as CMO, is carrying out a review of the isolation protocols after a meeting of the Cabinet's sub-committee on health met on Thursday night.
The CMO will make recommendations to the Health Minister after his review has concluded.
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Speaking on Prime Time last night, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said he doesn't see a change to the rule coming "anytime soon".
He said: "We are close to - or past - the peak of the second Omicron wave according to the CMO.
"The numbers in hospital are stabilising. Two thirds of people in ICU are not there because of Covid, they just happen to have Covid."
The emergency pandemic legislation that backed up the Covid rules lapsed last night and the Tanaiste doesn't envisage the laws being needed again - apart from if a new dangerous variant emerges.
He added: "The only thing that would change [the current public health advice] is if we got a totally new variant - we have to be prepared for that possibility but as things go, we believe any future waves will be manageable without legally binding restrictions."
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