Five new states will be added to Ireland's hotel quarantine list, the Minister for Health has confirmed.
Arrivals from Costa Rica, Georgia, India, Iran, and Mongolia are now set to complete mandatory hotel quarantine in the Republic after 4am on Tuesday, May 4th.
The update to the list was approved at a Government meeting earlier this week and the required consultation with other Government departments has now taken place.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said: “The Government continues to advise against all non-essential international travel at this time. Protecting public health remains the key priority of Government.
The scenes we are witnessing in India are distressing
"The scenes we are witnessing in India are distressing and a devastating reminder to us all of the severe illness and death Covid-19 can cause,” Mr Donnelly continued.
“The Government will continue to act to protect the population from variants of concern and take decisions that reinforce Ireland’s biosecurity.”
The Minister also confirmed that the states of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, San Marino, Monaco, Wallis and Futuna Islands, and Moldova would be removed from the list, effective from today.
All other travellers into Ireland must continue to have a negative pre-departure Covid test and observe a period of mandatory quarantine at home.