The European Union is considering tougher travel restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 variants across the bloc.
The Commission has said restrictions around travel across the EU should be co-ordinated, and allow for essential workers to cross borders freely.
It also wants more testing and sequencing for variants, saying there should be a check on 5% of all swabs, currently Ireland is checking around 1%.
Speaking last night, Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen says they are proposing a ‘dark red’ zone within the bloc’s traffic light travel system.
Holiday Ads
Ireland’s Chief Medical Officer has criticised ads encouraging people to book summer holidays, describing them as not very responsible.
Ryanair has been running a campaign with the tagline “jab and go” as part of efforts to sell seats.
Dr Tony Holohan says he’d welcome “every possible deterrent” to stop people travelling in and out of Ireland and urged people to do the responsible thing.
Meanwhile, a leading health expert says the border should not be used as an excuse to avoid introducing mandatory quarantine to Ireland.
It’s been cited by ministers as one reason why such a system would not work in the Republic.
Professor Anthony Staines from DCU says authorities here should act.
Travel Quarantine
The Rural Independent Group has slammed the Government for it’s ‘juvenile’ excuses for not imposing mandatory travel quarantine.
It says 33,000 foreign travellers arrive into the country a week, which will ‘inevitably’ carry more Covid cases into Ireland.
Similar systems are in place in other nations like Australia, South Korea, New Zealand and Canada.
The Group’s leader, Deputy Mattie McGrath, says it makes a ‘laughing stock’ of the Irish public
