Health officials have given the go ahead for the planned easing of restrictions on Monday.

The National Public Health Emergency Team has also recommended an easing of close contact rules for children.

The changes due to go ahead on Monday include a further relaxation of restrictions on group activities and the phased return to workplaces.

Indoor group activities will be able to ahead with capacity limits of 100 people provided everyone is fully vaccinated, recovered from COVID within the past six months or under the age of 18 and accompanied by an adult.

Where groups include unvaccinated people, they will be limited to pods of up to six participants. The number of pods permitted is dependant on the size of the venue.

All restrictions on outdoor activities will be removed; however, there will be no change to limits on crowd sizes at events.

NPHET also recommended that self-isolation requirements for children who are close contacts be eased by the end of this month.

There are currently more than 12,000 pupils absent from school because they have been in close contact with a confirmed case.

Provided there is no significant increase in school transmission in the coming weeks, they will no longer need to be tested or to self-isolate if they are not showing any symptoms.

NPHET has also recommended that the same rules be introduced for unvaccinated adults by the end of October.

Reporting from Eoghan Murphy and Michael Staines