Bars and restaurants should close at 5pm to combat the surge in the Omicron variant, NPHET has recommended.

The recommendations were included in a letter from Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last night, which also said new restrictions should come into effect as soon as possible, and no later than midnight this Sunday.

It also included recommendations that indoor cultural and sporting events should also be subject to a 5pm curfew and a 50% capacity cap, and a 50% capacity cap or a max of 5,000 people for outdoor events.

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has travelled urgently back from Brussels today to attend a Covid sub-committee meeting at midday. A full Cabinet meeting will be held at around 2.30pm this afternoon, when ministers will discuss the recommendations. It is expected that the Taoiseach will address the nation at around 6pm.

No change is expected around the current restrictions allowing up to three households to gather in the home of a fourth, and close contacts of  confirmed Covid cases who have not received a booster vaccine will be advised to restrict their movements.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said that he believed schools would not be closed before the Christmas break begins next week.

The recommendations come as Minister Donnelly told the Dail yesterday it was estimated that the Omicron variant represents 27% of all new Covid-19 cases in Ireland.

The 5pm curfew recommendation for hospitality has come as a shock to the sector. The Restaurants' Association of Ireland have described it as an "effective closure order" on hospitality.

"A proposal for a 5pm closure of hospitality is effectively a lockdown of the sector," chief executive Adrian Cummins said.

Huge anger across the Hospitality regarding NPHETs request to close at 5pm

Why wasn’t the booster campaign rolled out faster.

Why can’t those with boosters enter Hospitality premises using COVID pass if Gov approve 5pm curfew

Where is the plan to keep Hospitality open viably

— Adrian Cummins 🇮🇪🇪🇺 (@adriancummins) December 17, 2021