Defence Forces to escort  passengers to mandatory hotel quarantine

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly: Passengers will be escorted from the plane through the airport before being passed to the Defence Forces. Picture: Julien Behal

Defence Forces staff will escort passengers to mandatory hotel quarantine, but soldiers will not be used to enforce the stay and will not be vaccinated beforehand.

The system comes into force at 4am on Friday, with anyone who has been in one of 33 listed countries in the previous 14 days required to spend up to 14 days in a facility. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said bookings had already begun yesterday afternoon after the website for booking went live.