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TÁNAISTE LEO VARADKAR has said the government is asking people not to travel home for Christmas but that if feel they have to come home they should “follow the rules”.
Speaking at a briefing this evening, Varadkar said “there is no ban on international travel or people coming home” but that the government is asking people not to make a journey home if they don’t think it is essential.
Both he and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said it is for people and families themselves to determine if they feel people travelling home is essential.
“It is a judgement call and it is the individual that is best placed to judge that, I think everyone’s family circumstances are different, I don’t think we can define that,” Ryan said this evening.
“It does have to be a case-by-case basis, every individual looking at their assessment of what theist family needs. If you’re back coming back be careful,” he added.
Speaking a number of weeks ago, Varadkar had said that it was “too early” for people to book a flight home this Christmas.
Asked about his comments this evening, the Tánaiste said that incoming travel to Ireland presents the risk of importing cases of Covid-19.
“We’ve signed up to the EU traffic light system, if you look at that map, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Norway are orange and pretty much everywhere else in Europe, including the kind of places where Irish people tend to live like Britain, France and Germany, are all red. So obviously coming from a red zone to an orange zone like Ireland it is a risk,” he said.
For that reason we’re asking people to avoid non-essential travel, put off their trip. But if they feel they have to come home for personal reasons or for family reasons, then please follow the rules.
The rules the Tánaiste is referring to is the request for international arrivals from outside of ‘green’ countries to restrict their movements when they come to Ireland
At present, people arriving into Ireland from orange, red or grey countries are asked to restrict their movements for 14 days.
This is set to change from Sunday when people will be able to end their movement restriction if they receive a ‘negative/not detected’ PCR test taken at least five days after arriving.
This also applies to countries outside the EU traffic light system. All passengers arriving to Ireland from overseas are still required to complete a Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form.
Speaking about the number of people who may be planning to return to Ireland this Christmas, Ryan said it is “a fraction” of the number of people who would usually travel.
“What we’re seeing is that Irish people are collectively, by and large, making the decision not to travel. The volumes are minimal, a fraction of what they were previously. Everything we’re seeing is that this is going to continue through this period,” he added.
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Great idea from an Post.
I was in SuperValu shopping this week. I saw a lot of people who were definitely over 70.
Some seem to have no choice but to go out, collect pensions, go shopping for food, fuel etc.
It’s next to impossible to get an online delivery slot for shopping to be delivered.
You can’t ask people to stay in and offer minimal support, the Guards are helping some people, and this is a good initiative. But more needs to be done if the elderly are to be housebound.
@Mark Walsh: what p#sses me off is a neighbour of mine in good health and in her mid 30′s is still getting Tesco delivered when she is probably taking a slot from somebody that really needs it, I’m sure she is one of many around the country.
@Sharp Elsi Mate: how do you know your neighbour isn’t in an at risk group? It’s not just the elderly. Neighbour may have medical condition you don’t know about
@karen: she has been doing it for the last 2 years at least so unless her and her husband could see this coming or are that unfortunate I’d be very surprised. Not to mind the tesco is over 20 miles away and there is a fine big Supervalu on their doorstep. All i am saying is people need to be a bit more sensible.
@Sharp Elsi Mate: is your neigh our high risk?
Brillaint idea, as a concconer I hope these ideas are used after the emerengcy. Let’s build a better society where we all are involved in everybody’s care…
@David Dineen: absolutely. Cocooning too.
@David Dineen: that’d be lovely David, but Cant see it happening.
People are selfish, as long as it doesn’t effect them, they don’t really care.
Apart from the odd nice person
And living in a flat most of us don’t even know each other
Which makes me sad ,
we just hardly ever see each other
What about the post persons families?the more interaction they have the more likely it is they will get c19.they do have homes to go to as well.
@Stan Kowalskis: read the last line of the article. In practice they knock on the door and stand back a few metres until the person answers. If they don’t answer then they alert authorities
newspapers are yesterday’s news full of bacteria and virus they should be left on the shelf.
@Richard Russell: True Also all the food delivered could have germs.
Everything could. Even if the items are picked off shelves by a person using gloves, that means nothing, gloves still pass the virus from item to item!
But what else Can We do. There aren’t many solutions
It seems everything has a risk
@Richard Russell: everything is full of bacteria.
News papers only available in cities and counties just outside Dublin. For those living in the countryside and rural areas, as per usual no service available.
I just wanted to put it out there
my partner is my carer, he had to wait in a Que over 2 and half hours outside Tesco
He was in Bits by time he got back.
Then all I wanted to do was wipe everything with anti bacterial wipes.
Its a very frightening time especially for the more vulnerable amongst us
I really Feel for them.
If I didn’t have him, even without him being my carer, I couldn’t Que that long, I have terribly painful bad back and over active bladder!
@Fox&hounddog: Bacteria are different from viruses so anti-bacterial wipes don’t affect Covid-19.
have your say