More countries added to quarantine list

A Garda checkpoint at Dublin Airport. Arrivals from Category 2 countries can now face fines or imprisonment if they do not quarantine for 14 days. Picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

Arrivals from 18 more countries will have to complete a mandatory 14-day period of self-quarantine, the Government has announced.

Regulations signed last week give Health Minister Stephen Donnelly the power to specify additional states as Category 2 in terms of their risk of spreading Covid-19 variants.

Brazil and South Africa were added to that list last week, but now the National Oversight Group for Variants of Concern has advised of additional high-risk countries.

More stringent

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan has advised Mr Donnelly that more stringent restrictions on travel should now also be applied to arrivals from Angola, Austria, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Eswatini, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Primary legislation which will require people from Category 2 countries or who arrive in Ireland without a negative PCR test is due to go to Cabinet next Tuesday, but arrivals from those countries can now face fines or imprisonment if they do not quarantine for 14 days.

Mr Donnelly said that the move was necessary because of the risks posed by new variants of the virus.

“Under the current level 5 restrictions, nobody should be engaging in non-essential travel at this time," said Mr Donnelly.

"These stringent measures on people arriving to Ireland from 20 states are necessary in responding to the risks posed by variants of concern.

“People who arrive in Ireland must now complete a full mandatory 14-day period of self-quarantine if they have been in any of these states in the previous 14 days.

"The Government will shortly consider legislation that will require such passengers arriving here to complete this quarantine at a designated facility.”

Justice Minister Helen McEntee is examining the question of changes to visa arrangements in respect to states which are added to the Category 2 list.