The Government will look at introducing or lifting coronavirus restrictions on a regional basis in the future, according to the Health Minister.
However, Stephen Donnelly said the clear public health advice was not to do that at the moment.
He said that Government was 'unanimous and unambiguous' about delaying reopening plans.
He also noted that we don't know the situation we'll be in in three weeks, and that Ireland is at a 'tipping point' where the virus could end up out of control.
The Health Minister was speaking after phase four was yesterday delayed for a second time.
It means pubs which don't serve food will remain closed, while the current limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings will remain in place.
Minister Donnelly told Newstalk Breakfast: "What the Government did yesterday was follow the public health advice.
"I met the Chief Medical Officer directly after the NPHET meeting, and the message conveyed to me and the Government was that NPHET were unanimous and unambiguous on the fact that we are very finely balanced at the moment.
"Reopening pubs or increasing large gatherings - or other measures which in other countries we have seen increase the rate of the virus - could have very, very serious consequences in Ireland."
'Eight significant clusters'
He noted that 14 of the 15 countries initially on the travel green list have seen 'serious increases' in coronavirus numbers in just the past two weeks.
Meanwhile, the five-day average of new cases here is now more than 50 cases a day - up from less than 10 new cases a day.
Minister Donnelly said: "We have eight significant clusters - four in factories involving food processing, and four in direct provision.
"We have numerous smaller clusters around the country as well, and we have an increase in community transmission."
Ahead of yesterday's announcement about pubs, there had been some calls for regional pubs to be allowed reopen even if all pubs weren't given the green lights.
Minister Donnelly said community transmission cases are happening 'all over the country', so therefore they couldn't allow some pubs in rural areas reopen.
However, he said: "Certainly in the future regional restrictions and relaxing regional restrictions is something we will be looking at."
