Taoiseach announced plans to impose €500 fine for unnecessary foreign travel; half of those arriving in Ireland go on holiday celebration amid Pandemic!
DUBLIN: The government is considering imposing a fine of €500 on those found travelling unnecessarily, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told a Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday. He revealed that half of the travellers arriving in Ireland were found to be returning from holiday destinations.
There were 800 passengers in the country on Tuesday, 397 of them returning from holidays. Of these, 542 were Irish citizens. Therefore, a provision is being made to impose a fine of €500 on people who violate travel restrictions, the Taoiseach said. Mr. Martin made this revelation while explaining the government’s plan to introduce a mandatory quarantine for travellers to Ireland from certain countries.
The new variants of COVID-19 are causing a lot of pressure, and free visas from Brazil and South Africa have been suspended in order to address its concerns. Also, visa-free travel from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Uruguay has been canceled for the same reason.
Passengers from Brazil and South Africa will face a two-week mandatory quarantine if the new system is established. Some other countries may be included in the mandatory quarantine list.
The Taoiseach said that new travel restrictions and fines for violating the rules are being prepared. Mr. Martin also said Gardai would increase checkpoints at ports and airports.
He said that despite the reduction in the spread of the virus, health workers, especially those working in hospitals and nursing homes, are becoming more ill. Half of the health workers have been vaccinated and the rest are being given priority. He said the vaccine program would be expanded from April.
Number of COVID patients is declining
Although the number of new cases of COVID-19 in the country declined yesterday (1335), the death toll remained high (54).
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan urged people to remain vigilant and not to forget that 674 out of a million people in Ireland still have COVID-19.
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