Indications that India will be added to mandatory hotel quarantine list even though no final decisions have been made
DUBLIN: Although no official announcement has been made, there are indications that those coming from India will need a mandatory hotel quarantine due to the threat posed by the new COVID-19 variant. In that case, travellers arriving here would have to spend two weeks at the hotel quarantine. The decision on whether India should be added to the “red list” will be made soon.
India has reported a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths in the recent weeks. The matter is being looked into by a government Expert Advisory Group on Travel. Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said the final decision would be based on the advice of an Expert Group and NPHET. He added that in the current situation, it would not be a surprise if India is included in the red list.
Meanwhile, the government’s Travel Advisory Group is meeting again today (Thursday), to discuss the international COVID situation. Amid concerns about a new variant of the virus, it is hoped that special attention will be paid to the situation in India, where case numbers are rising rapidly.
The Office of the Indian Ambassador to Ireland and some other European countries have recorded their views in the context of today’s meeting. A spokesman for the Indian ambassador told the media that any suggestion to include India in the list would be difficult for many people living and working in Ireland.
However, the embassy emphasizes the need to fully comply with the Irish government’s regulations, which are designed by taking account of all aspects of the pandemic situation, the spokesperson said.
Other European countries with the demand to exclude those who have their own accommodation in Ireland
In a petition to Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, members of parliament from France and Italy demanded that foreign nationals who have a home in Ireland be exempted from the mandatory hotel quarantine system while traveling for funerals and other important reasons.
The letter was signed by Alexander Holroyd, a member of the National Assembly for French Citizens in Northern Europe, Massimo Ungaro, a member of the Italian Camera de Deputations for Italian Citizens in Europe, and Laura Garavini, who represents Italians in Europe.
Today’s precautionary decision will be based on the views expressed by various centers and the complaints before the court.
Minister for Foreign Affairs says holiday trips may be allowed
Simon Coveney stated that spending vacations abroad is currently illegal, but that this could change in the summer. The European Union Green Cert system is expected to be in place by June. However, the minister made it clear that Ireland may not sign up to it at the beginning. The proposal for COVID passports will be voted on in the European Parliament next week.
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