US, France and Italy among 16 countries added to hotel quarantine list

Latest travel figures reveal almost 3,300 people arrived into the country on flights from these newly added countries in the week up to April 4. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

France, Italy, Turkey, Canada and the US are among 16 countries that have been added to the hotel quarantine list.

The move comes as the latest travel figures reveal that almost 3,300 people arrived into the country on flights from these newly added countries in the week up to April 4.

Home quarantining for all other passengers has also been strengthened, which will require people to show a negative PCR test and proof of booking a five-day follow-up test with the HSE on arrival into the country.

The HSE is also being asked to examine the possibility of exempting passengers who have been fully vaccinated from hotel quarantine.

Ministers last night signed off on extending the hotel quarantine list after days of discussion and debate among senior Department officials.

From next Thursday all passengers arriving from the US, Canada, France, Belgium, Italy, Luxemburg, Turkey, Kenya, Bangladesh, Pakistan,

Armenia, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Curaçao, Maldives, and Ukraine will be required to enter mandatory quarantine.

There are currently 654 hotel rooms available for mandatory quarantining, but it is expected that capacity will at least double as more countries are added.

Department of Health officials have been in regular contact with hotel provider Tifco this week.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry is one of two hotels being used at present. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Although Germany had been previously flagged by public health experts, it is not among the countries that have been added to the list as the level of variant is now not deemed to be of concern.

Israel, Albania and St Lucia have been removed from the list, however, those currently in mandatory quarantine from the three countries will have to finish out the full period and will not be permitted to leave their hotel accommodation early.

Last week, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly pushed to accept a public health recommendation to add 43 countries to the list. However, this plan was met with opposition from a number of members of the Government including Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and in the end, a reduced list was approved.

The latest figures released by the Department of Transport show that 1,300 people arrived from France between ​March 29, and April 4, a further 735 passengers arrived from the US, and 245 from Italy.

Overall 15,921 passengers came in through Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports during this time.

While Canada has also been added to the list, no passengers have arrived on direct flights into Dublin since mid-February and just two arrived into Shannon in March.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that passengers arriving into Cork and Shannon airports are being transported to Dublin for their mandatory hotel quarantine due to a lack of capacity outside the capital.

The Department of Health confirmed that passengers entering via the south of the country are currently being accommodated at either the Crowne Plaza or the Holiday Inn Express at Dublin Airport.

“Facilities in Cork or other regional locations have not been stepped-up for the purposes of mandatory hotel quarantine at this point,” a spokesperson said.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said countries will be added and taken off the list.

"The requirements for quarantine will change, and this is not going to be a permanent fixture. This cannot be designed as a way that's going to be there forever and a day. We need connectivity, we need the ability for people to come home and travel and so on," the Green Party leader said.

It comes as a further 34 deaths related to Covid-19 were reported last night, just three of these occurred this month with three dating back to December or earlier.

As the country prepares for a further easing of restrictions after the weekend, another 473 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were also reported. All pupils will return to school from Monday and travel within your own county will also be permitted.