NPHET has postponed a key meeting on deciding whether or not restrictions can be eased next month.
It comes as the European Commission has decided not to introduce a vaccine export ban on any country amid a row about stockpiling.
NPHET wants more time to see whether there's a consistent trend of rising cases and assess all the data available, so a meeting planned for tomorrow on easing restrictions in April has been put off until Monday.
Public Health Officials will then advise government ahead of a cabinet decision on Tuesday.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says they haven't decided whether the limited easing of Level 5 that was planned can go ahead.
