Covid-19: ‘Highly likely’ travellers into State will face tougher rules
File Airport Colin Collins Terminal At Arrivals 1 Keegan, In Picture: Gate Dublin Dublin Area The
Tighter restrictions for people travelling into the State will be brought forward this week by Government.
A number of senior Government sources have confirmed that it is "highly likely" that those entering the State will be subject to new controls.
Cabinet is due to meet tomorrow to discuss the matter.
It comes as some 23 additional deaths related to Covid-19 and 1,378 new cases of the virus were confirmed yesterday evening, once again prompting chief medical officer Tony Holohan to implore people to remain at home where possible.
Currently, the only requirement for those entering the State is that passengers present a negative PCR test from the previous 72 hours. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), which has argued in favour of mandatory quarantine since last May, said this PCR requirement could miss as many as 40% of cases.
Senior Government figures appear split on the matter, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin appearing to give tentative backing to mandatory quarantine for those who did not have a negative result, although Leo Varadkar and Eamon Ryan have appeared less in favour of it.
One minister said that reports of policy disagreement between the party leaders are "unfair" and incorrect.
An interdepartmental group of civil servants met on Friday to discuss potential options which will be brought to the three party leaders during the Government's Cabinet sub-committee.
It is understood that these will include mandatory quarantine for those who do not have a negative PCR test, and harsher punishments for those found to breach the 14-day isolation period.
A senior Government official said: "It's likely we'll see a move in the direction of a short quarantine for people from certain places with a new variant or without a negative PCR test.
"People have confused the issue of quarantine in cases where someone has no PCR test on arrival — which is quite likely to happen — with other suggestions of mandatory quarantine/zero-Covid policy which is another matter entirely and would currently be unlikely to be workable."
The Government is said to be concerned about the number of people flying into Dublin from places such as Gran Canaria that do not appear to be essential journeys.
"There's still too much travel going on, so certainly there will be tightening up this week," the minister added.
"Where it lands is up for discussion, there's a few straws in the wind."
It is understood new powers for Gardaí relating to dealing with people without negative PCR tests are also to be discussed.
Yesterday, justice minister Helen McEntee said: "I wouldn't say that anything is off the table at the moment, but we do need to make sure that what we put in place and whatever we introduce can work, that it's enforceable."
Hildegarde Naughton, the minister of State with responsibility for international travel, said the Government is now assessing how the practice would work.
"Government are looking at a number of measures in order to increase the requirements around international travel including mandatory quarantine, as well as looking at a temporary suspension of visa-free travel for certain countries," she said.
Ms Naughton added there would be no quarantine requirement for essential transport workers.
The Government is working on how hotels or accommodation would be designated, how to transport people from airports to these designated hotels, how they would be staffed, and who would pay for the hotel stay, she said.
However, despite tighter restrictions being brought in this week, there is no appetite within Government to seal the border to stop people travelling into the State from the North.