NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

Gardai on patrol in in Dublin city centre. Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

• Another 294 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland and 14 more people with the disease have died.
• There were two more deaths and 49 further cases in Northern Ireland. 
• The government has published its list of “essential” workers who can still go to work following the unprecedented restrictions introduced last night.
• Taoiseach Leo has clarified that the 2km limit on movement outside the home is for physical exercise and people can travel beyond this for food and medicine. 
• Thousands of gardaí are out in force this weekend to check on compliance with the measures with Health Minister Simon Harris saying they are likely to get new powers. 
• Construction work that is not essential to the Covid-19 pandemic or critical road infrastructure is to halt. 
• The plane that will be carrying some €20 million of personal protective equipment (PPE) back from China to Ireland is due to land in Beijing. 
• The NCT, NDLS and the commercial vehicle testing system have all been suspended until further notice. 
• The limit on contactless payments will increase from €30 to €50 by Wednesday 1 April.
• A number of Irish citizens are on board a cruise ship where a number of people have fallen ill with flu-like symptoms off the coast of Panama.

WORLD

The USNS Comfort departs Hampton Roads en route to New York. Steve Helber / PA Images Steve Helber / PA Images / PA Images

#QUARANTINE: US President Donald Trump said today he is considering placing New York state under quarantine, but he was vague about what exactly was meant by this.

#COVID-19: The number of people who have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus passed 1,000.

#SPAIN: The death toll from coronavirus in Spain surged to over 5,600 after a record 832 people died in the past 24 hours.

PARTING SHOT

The famous Clery's clock on the former department store in Dublin. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

The world have changed an awful lot in the past few months but some things do remain the same, some of them are even good.

We now expect a much grander stretch in the evenings as the clocks go forward tonight. Don’t forget!