Dublin looks set to be placed on level three restrictions by the weekend.
The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet this morning to make a recommendation to government.
While health officials are worried about the spread of Covid-19 in a number of counties, Dublin is by far the worst at the moment.
It's expected NPHET will say the capital should be moved fully to level three restrictions from it's current position at level 2.
Level 3 restrictions
This would mean people would not be allowed to leave the county except for essential purposes. People will be told to work from home unless absolutely necessary.
Capacity at weddings and funerals would be limited to 25 and religious services like mass should move online.
Once NPHET makes a recommendation it will be considered by a cross-departmental steering group this evening.
The cabinet sub-committee on Covid has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow morning and this is being seen as a precursor to any NPHET recommendations being adopted by the weekend.
A full cabinet meeting would have to sign off on the plans tomorrow afternoon.
Warnings
254 new coronavirus cases were confirmed last night, 136 of them in Dublin.
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ronan Glynn last night warned the situation in Dublin had deteriorated over the past week;
"It is now absolutely essential that people action public health advice and act as if they or those close to them are potentially infectious" he said.
Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said;
"I am more concerned than I have been at any point since late April. Case numbers appear to be growing exponentially and are likely to double every 10 to 14 days if every one of us does not immediately act to break chains of transmission of the virus."
He went on to say;
"If we do not interrupt transmission now, bring the r-number back to below 1, modelling shows that we could have 500-1,000 cases per day by the 16th of October, 50-60% of which would be in Dublin."
