'High level' of Covid-19 restrictions 'until Easter', Taoiseach confirms

Micheál Martin he has not yet been invited to Washington for the annual St Patrick's Day trip, but he will go if he is asked. File picture: Denis Minihane.

Ireland will add 20 countries to the mandatory quarantine list later today, the Taoiseach has said.

Among the countries affected will be Austria and the UAE, as well as a number of sub-Saharan countries. Travellers from these countries will now be subjected to a mandatory hotel quarantine at their own expense.

The legislation will be brought to Cabinet next week in order to implement the move.

Micheál Martin also said restrictions on non-essential travel will be in place for the remainder of the year.

"The European Centre for disease control is doing a more comprehensive global look at this and we'll have a report on Monday. We will take that advice in relation to countries where mandatory quarantine and will apply from here onwards," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

"Certainly, in terms of 2021", travel restrictions will remain in place due to growing concerns about the different variants of Covid-19 and their potential to "undermine the vaccination programme", he said.

We're taking a very tough line over the next number of months in relation to foreign travel.

Fines of €2,000 — four times the previous level — will also be implemented for people who ignore travel advice and go on holidays abroad.

"It's regrettable that people don't really get it that travel abroad for non-essential purposes is a breach of regulations," Mr Martin added.

"It is very important that people adhere to these regulations. We don't want to add to the difficulties and complexities of this virus by importing mutations and new variants of the virus.

"The arrival of the variants has given an added momentum and importance to the issue of border controls, and they're important in terms of reducing the volume of variants and delaying variants coming in."

Schools

The Government is revising its Living with Covid plan, with details due in the coming weeks on the roadmap to reopening the country. 

Mr Martin said he hopes to have clarity for schools reopening and Leaving Cert students next week.

The Taoiseach Micheál Martin in his office at Government Buildings. File Photograph Moya Nolan

"This is going to be a different type of reopening because of the UK variant in 70% of cases and I know public health are concerned, as they want to measure this in terms of the wider impact on the spread of the virus," he said.

Schools are safe places and controlled environments but it's that wider impact of so many people on the move at one time.

Mr Martin said he is "determined" to give parents and the minister for eduucation time to work out the practicalities of the return to school and said he is "anxious" to provide clarity for Leaving Cert students.

Asked if we're into level 5 restrictions until at least after Easter, Mr Martin said:  "We are looking at a continuation of high levels of restrictions to the Easter period. That remains to be determined by Government."

Vaccinations

The Taoiseach says he still believes September is a target to have 70% of people in the state vaccinated.

"There is no definitive answer I can give on timelines in relation to the supply because it's outside of my control," he added.

"I still think [by] September, we will have a critical mass of people vaccinated because it was always the case we'd see a significant ramping up of the volumes of vaccines coming into the country. Quarter one was always going to be low.

"With the vaccination rollout we have, it makes sense that we would be cautious and conservative in the rollout, because every month we get now with vaccination, we reduce mortality, we reduce severe illness among those most vulnerable."

That's a prize worth fighting for.

The Taoiseach added that he has not yet been invited to Washington for the annual St Patrick's Day trip, but he will go if he is asked. 

He believes he would have to be vaccinated to meet President Joe Biden.

"It's a very important relationship between Ireland and the United States, so in some shape or form, we're going to honour this obviously as we always do on Patrick's Day," he said.

"The economic relationship is key. There are a range of issues in terms of the undocumented Irish in the United States.

"I am conscious that we are in Covid times, there are huge challenges on the United States side, in terms of their battle against Covid and President Biden has made that his number one priority and I've spoken to him about that."