EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five biggest stories of the day.

1. #LIGHT IN THE TUNNEL: Health Minister Simon Harris has said that he hopes to lift restrictions placed upon the Irish public at the beginning of May – but added that we will “not see a significant lifting of restrictions”.

2. #NURSING HOMES: The HSE has said that all staff and residents at nursing homes with at least one confirmed case of Covid-19 will be tested, as 11 people with a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 died at a nursing home in Dublin over the past two weeks.

3. #OVER THE WATERS: The UK’s lockdown measures have been extended for three more weeks as the number of coronavirus cases passed 100,000. 

4. #COURTS: The case of Lisa Smith, the former Defence Forces member charged with membership of ISIS, has been adjourned for three months. 

5. #GOVERNMENT FORMATION: The Social Democrats have written to the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil looking for economic projections as they consider the offer to enter government.