People returning from Cheltenham will not have to self-isolate - Harris

People returning from Cheltenham will not have to self-isolate but will be met by health workers at the airport.

The National Public Health Emergency Team says anyone returning from Spain or Italy will have to restrict their movements for the next two weeks.

But Health Minister Simon Harris says those restrictions do not apply for people coming home from Cheltenham.

"It just seems counterintuitive that at a time when we are shutting down large events here that there be so many Irish people and others sitting in close proximity to each other at the races and returning.

"So the public health emergency team did specifically consider Cheltenham again last night and it has decided that they do not need to self-isolate on return.

"That is for a couple of reasons but principally the fact that the UK is currently not deemed to be the same as Spain or Italy."