Ireland could fast-track it's full re-opening, after Government ministers hinted that a lifting of restrictions could take place as early as this weekend.
Cabinet meets on Wednesday and again on Friday, with an address to the public expected from the Taoiseach that evening.
That's because NPHET will hold crucial talks on Thursday after which recommendations are likely to be made to the Minister of Health.
It is expected that NPHET will propose extending the opening hours of pubs and restaurants to midnight, instead of the current 8pm curfew.
And sports fans will be happy, as a return to 100% capacity at outdoor sporting events could be on the cards.
But what have the leading Government officials said?
Leo Varadkar
The Tanaiste gave the biggest indication yet that rules will be relaxed in a prompt fashion when speaking to a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party on Tuesday evening.
March 31 is when he wants to see a large chunk of the restrictions gone by.
A TD at the meeting told the Irish Mirror: “The Tanaiste spoke about the progress being made on Covid-19, the fact that Omicron is less severe and that a high level of immunity has built up due to vaccination and infection.
"He said this gives us a strong degree of confidence that we can ease restrictions quickly over the next few weeks.
"He said that by and large, we've got most things right as a government and as a society when it comes to Covid which is evident from case fatality ratios, the number of deaths per million in population, the number of people in hospital per million, the percentage of people vaccinated and the impact on our economy and public finances.
"He expressed his wish to set March 31 as a deadline to end almost all legal restrictions, while stating we cannot promise anything yet and there is still the option of extending for another three months until the end of June.
“He also noted we may have to keep some measures another while longer such as mask wearing in crowded places, staying at home when symptomatic and Covid passes for international travel.”
Stephen Donnelly
Speaking to The Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk on Tuesday, Stephen Donnelly provided a couple of key updates around the situation.
Firstly, he hailed the effect of booster vaccines in protecting the country.
The Minister for Health said: “I know people who have been boosted and who have got Omicron who had they not been, due to age, underlying conditions, a combination of both, at best they would have been in intensive care and potentially much worse.
When asked about restrictions, he said: “Cases are falling, hospitalisations are falling and critical care has remained steady the whole way through, so we’re in a very good position to be having this conversation.
“I believe we have a duty to relinquish [emergency] powers and to end the difficult restrictions the moment the public health rationale is no longer in support of them.
“The conversation that I’m having with the department and that I’m having with the public health teams is for measures that we continue with, we need an absolutely clear public health rationale for them."
