Digital Desk Staff
Passengers arriving from Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Curaçao, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, North Macedonia and Ukraine are no longer required to enter quarantine in a designated hotel, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said.
However, passengers arriving in the State from Nepal and Anguilla from Wednesday will be required to enter mandatory hotel quarantine.
As The Irish Times reports, Mr Donnelly said people having been in or transited through Nepal or Anguilla in the previous 14 days must enter mandatory hotel quarantine.
Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly TD, has announced his intention to add an additional two States to the list of Designated States. https://t.co/qC0vbYe7ls@DonnellyStephen #COVID19 #MandatoryHotelQuarantine
— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) May 8, 2021
“The decision to add to the list of designated States was taken following advice received by the Chief Medical Officer,” a statement from the Department of Health said on Saturday evening.
“Passengers from these States who arrive in Ireland after 04.00 on Wednesday, May 12th are required to enter quarantine in a designated hotel.
“Minister Donnelly is also revoking the designation in place for: Armenia, Aruba, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Curaçao, Italy, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, North Macedonia and Ukraine. The revocations come into effect from today.
“All travellers into Ireland must have a negative pre-departure test and those from non-designated countries must observe home quarantine.”
Medical reasons
People who are forced to travel abroad for urgent medical reasons no longer have to stay in mandatory hotel quarantine.
Updated guidance posted on the department’s website this week states that if someone has travelled abroad for “unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons” they will not be required to undergo mandatory hotel quarantine on returning to Ireland.
This also applies to someone travelling with another person as a carer, and if a child or other dependent has travelled with them, they will also be exempted.
It will also apply to the parents or siblings of a child who has travelled abroad for medical reasons. Those seeking the exemption must have certification from a doctor when travelling in order they can avail of it.
Others who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine include those who can prove they have been fully vaccinated and the parents of newborn babies, including those born through surrogacy. In such circumstances, negative PCR tests are required and the passengers must still quarantine at home.
