DUBLIN: Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is seeking to extend Ireland’s mandatory hotel quarantine system until July 31. The system was due to end in the second week of June under current legislation.
The law allows for three-month extensions; however, it has been learned that the minister has only sought an extension until the end of July. Despite concerns about the cost and quality of some hotels, a number of TDs and political party leaders support the quarantine being extended. Therefore, it is estimated that this system will continue till July 31.
All travellers to Ireland must have a negative pre-departure test, and those from non-designated countries must be quarantined at home. Travellers from red-list countries will have a 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine. Minister Donnelly said this system be continued in view of the variants of concern.
A total of 4,400 people have been part of mandatory hotel quarantine system. As of Tuesday, 173 COVID-19 cases had been detected through MHQ, including 163 residents, nine staff, and one unaccompanied minor. Of these cases, there were 59 cases of variants of concern, 47 B117, and 12 B1351/ P1, the Minister for Health said.
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