An Post workers are to call into the homes of older and vulnerable people to help distribute food and medical supplies.
The Republic's postal service will also deliver post from the elderly for free to encourage them to stay in contact with their loved ones.
The announcement came as An Post revealed it is delivering Covid-19 public information booklets to every household across the country.
The booklet, which was produced jointly between the Government and the HSE, is being delivered free of charge.
An Post chief executive David McRedmond said: "Postmen and women will now not just deliver the post, they will call in on older and vulnerable people living in the communities, being a practical and trusted person usually known to those people to help them.
"They'll go in with a set of questions, such as do they need food, do they need a pharmacy, do they need to send out messages?
"The postman or postwoman will then take that back and we will look after that and make sure that that gets fulfilled.
"The second thing is to help people stay in touch.
"We will also take parcels and letters from the elderly and the vulnerable, and we estimate that's about around 10% of homes - about 160,000 homes - we will collect letters and parcels and distribute them for free."
An Post is also hoping to help deliver newspapers to homes across the country from next week.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said: "The public information booklet explains what we're doing as a country, what we need to do to slow the spread of the virus and brings together the best advice from our medical health experts.
"We may think we know what we should be doing but we live in an age of misinformation and disinformation, and we're in a constant battle to get accurate information.
"This is the basic piece of information that everyone needs to know and absorb as soon as you get this through your letterbox. It's very easy to be misled and this book cuts through the confusion and in doing so performs the vital function.
"I think there are many things happening in our country right now that give us hope for today and for the future.
"The determination of people to help others and to serve others is a shining example of Ireland at its best. Also people providing vital services, in our hospitals and supermarkets and in our sorting rooms."
