The Minister for Health has said there are no other counties facing further restrictions in the coming days.

It comes as Donegal prepares to follow Dublin into Level Three restrictions from midnight tonight.

The decision, announced yesterday evening, will see restaurants, cafes and pubs forced to close – except for delivery, takeaway and outdoor service.

On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said it is a “very difficult day for Donegal.”

He said the rest of the country will remain at Level Two for the near future.

“There are no other counties being looked at imminently,” he said. “Donegal was the one that just rose very, very quickly.”

He said the acting Chief Medical Officer has voiced concern about a range of other counties and a decision will be made based on any changes to their rates.

He insisted that the Government’s reopening roadmap has made things less confusing for people as restrictions are introduced.

“I think what we are seeing hopefully is the advantage of having the roadmap,” he said.

“If you think back to Kildare, Laois and Offaly, people were very concerned and very agitated at the measures that they felt sort of came out of the blue.

“We at least now have a roadmap and have the levels so people in Donegal or wherever else can look at the roadmap and say, ‘the level is rising in my county; the positivity rate is going up; we may  need to go to Level Three.

“But we know what happens if we go there and we know that, in other counties, it has worked and we can get the virus back down and open up everything again as much as we can.”