"We will get through this and we will prevail."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the nation the COVID-19 could continue into the Summer.

In a live broadcast the Taoiseach once again urged people to adhere to the HSE guidelines on social distancing.

“We are asking people to come together as a nation by staying apart from each other,” he said.

And he said that a certain point, elderly people and those with long-term illness will be asked to stay at home for several weeks.  

“We are putting in place the systems to ensure that if you are one of them, you will have food, supplies and are checked on. “

We call this ‘cocooning’ and it will save many lives… particularly the most vulnerable… the most precious in our society.”

He said the Government did not know how long the current emergency would continue, but acknowledged that it would continue past March 29 and possibly into the Summer.

He once again reiterated that he expected a rise in positive cases in the coming days and weeks.

This is the calm before the storm before the surge,” he reiterated. “And when it comes – and it will come – never will so many ask so much of so few.”

“We need to keep our physical distance to stop the virus,” the Taoiseach said.

He reassured people that their life and health would be priority.

“We will always put your life and your health ahead of any other concern.  All resources that we have… financial and human… are being deployed to serve this great national effort.”

“However do so we need your co-operation and that of business and industry to make social distancing workable. This may mean changing how you do your business but we will work with you to find safe and creative ways to do this.”

He suggested that this might mean adjusted opening hours, staggered breaks, phone calls rather than meetings and working from home where possible.

Referring to the impact on the economy, he said the damage would be lasting and the bill would be enormous.

“We will get through this and we will prevail.”

Urging people to only take information from reliable sources, he said fear spread by unofficial sources was also a contagion.

“We need to halt the spread of the virus but we also need to halt the spread of fear.”

On St Patrick's Day, he said Ireland stood in solidarity with our countries around the world fighting the COVID-19 fears.

Viruses respect no borders and as a result we are all in this together.