'This makes the Great Lockdown the worst recession since the Great Depression' - IMF expects Irish economy to shrink by 6.8pc

Shuttered: Streets such as Dublin’s Grafton St have been left deserted following the Covid-19 lockdown. Photo: Douglas O’Connor

David Chance

The economy is expected to contract by 6.8pc this year due to the impact of the coronavirus, according to new forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).