Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced a mass shut-down across the Republic, as measures he introduced earlier this month will be extended to April 19.
Outdoor gatherings of more than four people, unless they are members of the same family, are banned.
From midnight tonight, all theatres, clubs, gyms, leisure centres, hairdressers, betting offices, markets, casinos, bingo halls, libraries and other similar outlets are to shut.
"All cafes and restaurants should limit supply to take away and delivery only," he said.
"All sporting events are cancelled. All playground and holiday caravan parks are closed. All places of worship are to restrict numbers entering at any one time."
Hotels are to limit occupancy to "essential non social and non tourist reasons".
Non essential shops are to close to the public and all other retail outlets are to enforce physical distancing.
Earlier this month, Mr Varadkar announced schools, colleges and public facilities were to close across the Republic in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Those closures and the new measures announced today have now been extended until April 19.
The taoiseach yesterday urged everyone to stay at home to slow the spread of Covid-19.
Speaking at an Irish Government briefing in Dublin today, he said: "We believe we need to do more to flatten the curve.
"People should stay at home if at all possible - this is the best way to slow the virus."
He said gardai will intervene if people do not comply with the guidelines.
"The Gardai will increase interventions where venues are not complying with or groups of people are not complying with social distancing," he said.
"Social gatherings outdoors should be no more than four people unless from the same household."
Chief medical officer Tony Holohan said the measures have had to be stepped up due to the fact more than 1,000 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Republic
He said: "Forty-five per cent of the cases have been community transmission where we have not been able to identify the original source through contact tracing and one in four of the cases are healthcare workers.
"We need to move rapidly, comprehensively and quickly. That is why we have stepped up the measures."
Mr Varadkar confirmed the Government is to increase the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Support payment for people who have been laid off due to the virus from €203 to €350.
The payment will also apply to the self-employed who are affected by Covid-19.
An emergency wage subsidy scheme under which the Government will pay 70% of a worker's salary up to a cap of €410 per week net - equivalent to the after-tax income of a worker on around €40,000.
Health Minister Simon Harris said patients with Covid-19 will be treated for free in a single national hospital service.
Mr Harris said all private hospitals will be public or run by the State for the duration of the pandemic.
He said: "There can be no public vs private here."
