Coronavirus: Workers to get sick pay immediately if they are forced to self-isolate as experts fear '100 cases in fortnight'

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health Dr Tony Holohan pictured outside Government buildings Picture: Gerry Mooney

Maeve Sheehan, Cormac McQuinn, Niamh Horan, Ralph Riegel and Wayne O’Connor

Workers will be entitled to illness benefit immediately if they are forced to self-isolate due to coronavirus, under measures to be considered by a Cabinet sub-committee.

At present, they do not get state sick pay for the first six days, but moves to slash that to zero are under consideration in a bid to ensure people with suspected cases of coronavirus have financial support.