THIS SUNDAY MARKS the second Easter in a row that Ireland has been living under strict Covid-19 restrictions.

The long Easter weekend is usually a time when families get together and people socialise as decent spring weather takes hold.

People are allowed to meet up with one other household outdoors for exercise, but household visits are currently not permitted under Level 5 rules.

Despite that, recent opinion polling has shown that the number of indoor household visits have increased in recent weeks.

In a joint statement last night from Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn and the North’s CMO Dr Michael McBride urged people to keep their contacts low due to the ongoing spread of the virus here.

“We must ask that, once again, we work together to prevent a further wave of infection by celebrating this Easter safely. Please continue to stick with the public heath advice. Do not give this virus the opportunities it is seeking to spread,” they said.

But the two CMOs added that most people are still making huge sacrifices and adhering to public health advice, helping to limit the spread of the virus.

With that in mind, we’re asking: Are you planning to meet someone from another household this weekend?