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Health Minister Stephen Donnelly briefing the media on the mandatory quarantine measures today. Sasko Lazarov

Explainer: 26 bookings made so far today for mandatory hotel quarantine. Here's what you need to know

As of 7 March, 4,172 people have flown in from Category 2 high risk countries.

26 BOOKINGS HAVE already been made today through the online site for mandatory hotel quarantine. 

Six of those are for check-in in March, 15 are for April, and five bookings are for May.

The portal, which is available to access here went live today.

There has been a lot of talk about mandatory hotel quarantine in recent weeks, with legislation signed into law two weeks ago. 

Here’s what you need to know about how it works. 

Who is subject to mandatory hotel quarantine when they arrive in Ireland?

All passengers arriving into Ireland from designated States after 4am this Friday 26 March are now required to pre-book accommodation in a designated quarantine facility, and to pre-pay for their stay.

There are currently 33 countries on the government’s list of ‘high-risk’ Category 2 countries.

A total of 13 of these countries/territories were added on 26 February by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. These are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The 20 other countries/states which were already on the list are: Angola, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Republic of South Africa, Rwanda, Seychelles, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Anyone arriving into the country without a negative PCR test with them is also subject to mandatory quarantine.

Will more countries be added to the list? 

Donnelly told reporters today that he fully expects that more countries will be added to the list. 

“We are seeing more variants around the world so the public health experts are keeping an eye on that,” he said

How many people have flown in from Category 2 high risk countries in the past few weeks?

The latest figures available to the Department of Health as of 7 March is that 4,172 people have flown in from Category 2 high risk countries.

The Department of Justice said today that around 1,000 home checks had been made on passengers arriving from these countries, meaning around one in four passengers are being followed up on by spot checks.

How much does it cost?

The cost for an incoming passenger coming from one of the 33 designated states is €1,875 for 12 nights. Children over 12 will cost €625, while a child between 4-12 will cost €360. There is no charge for infants.

Where will passengers be taken when they arrive in Ireland?

The first facility that will be available to receive arriving travellers is the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel in Santry.

The Tifco Hotel Group has been appointed as the service provider to assist the State in delivering mandatory hotel quarantine.

They have a number of hotels, and under the contract, the number of hotels used for mandatory quarantine can be scaled up.

So what happens once someone lands on a plane or arrives into Ireland at one of our ports?

When the plane arrives on the tarmac, an announcement is made on the aircraft that anyone that has to go to mandatory quarantine should stay on the plane while the rest of the passengers disembark.

The passenger will be brought to the Border Management Unit, where their papers will be inspected. They will then be brought to Passport Control, before being brought to pick up their luggage. They will be kept away from other passengers at the airport or port.

They will then go through Customs before being escorted by members of the Defence Forces onto a bus and taken to the hotel.

What happens if a person tests positive while staying in the hotel?

If a person tests positive in quarantine, the period could be extended for 10 days.

They would need to be five days free from symptoms and may need a PCR test at the end of that period before they will be allowed to leave.

Who covers the cost if they need to stay longer? 

The State will cover the costs if this occurs. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said someone who has already booked in to stay would have already paid a considerable amount of money. If they somehow test positive, they would have to go through a whole new cycle, he said.

The minister said he did not think it would be fair to saddle someone with another bill worth thousands of Euro.

Will there be medical staff at the hotels?

There will be clinical staff in each hotel, and a doctor available to the hotel 24/7.

People will be surveyed and assessed on arrival in terms of their mental health. When they are in quarantine they will be contacted at least once daily and will be asked to fill out a questionnaire every three days to check their mental health.

Do they have to stay in their room the whole time?

People in quarantine must stay in their room except for exercise, which is allowed three times daily.

Who is exempted from hotel quarantine?

Some people that have arrived from the designated countries, or perhaps don’t have a negative PCR test upon arrival may be exempted from quarantine for what the minister states are “time-sensitive medical reasons”.

He told reporters today that this would really be in cases that are unavoidable and imperative, with the medical reason needing to be certified by a doctor. 

What role is the Defence Forces playing?

The Defence Forces is there to support various agencies of Government, ensure the system runs smoothly between public and private operators at work, and to ensure the passenger pathway is safe and secure.

There will be small teams from the Defence Forces placed at all mandatory hotel locations, as well as airports and ports.

The members will not be armed.

Can someone try and circumvent the system to avoid mandatory quarantine?

Customs staff will work to detect people who may try to bypass the system.

A senior Department of Justice official said they are expecting the majority of people to present themselves. Where that is not the case, say if someone flies from one of the countries, to the UK or another country in the EU, before flying onto Ireland, there are means of detecting where a person originated from at the start of their journey.

EU flight data sharing is the norm, reporters were told today, and details are also on flight manifests. Passengers will also be interviewed by immigration officers upon arrival into Ireland, who will be relied upon to “ask the right questions”.

What happens if someone tries to leave the hotel before they are supposed to?

A member of the hotel will inform the person that if they leave they will be in breach of the legislation. If they leave, the gardaí will be called and the matter will be an operational one for the gardaí to handle. A file could be made to the DPP and dealt with by the courts, but officials stated today that it would be the intention that they are returned to the hotel to complete their mandated quarantine.

Is there an appeals process?

Yes, there will be an appeals system operating seven days a week, 24-hours a day for people who feel they should not be in quarantine.

What are the details of the contract – will the State be guaranteeing occupancy to the hotel operator?

The Department of Health said the contract is based on the standard terms and conditions for State services contracts, amended to reflect the Health Act.

“The commercial arrangement and cost model, is commercially sensitive. (While it is intended to be cost neutral certain fixed costs will apply as the hotel operator is expected to provide hotel facilities irrespective of whether passengers arrive for mandatory quarantine)” the department said. 

How long will this all last for?

The legislation sets out there is a three month sunset clause in place for the system, though the minister can extend or renew it.

Who is in charge of the system?

The Department of Health has overall responsibility for the mandatory hotel quarantine programme. The Defence Forces has responsibility for day-to-day oversight and quality assurance.

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52 Comments
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    Mute Sean O Rodaigh
    Favourite Sean O Rodaigh
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:00 PM

    When the plane lands anybody who has to quarantine stays in the plane whilst everyone else disembark! Please tell me I have misunderstood this- Wouldn’t everyone on the plane need to be quarantined? – This year is done for if this is the carry on from the civil servants running the show

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    Mute lar keogh
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:10 PM

    @Sean O Rodaigh: Unreal, Defeats the purpose.

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    Mute Mogh Roith
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:29 PM

    @Sean O Rodaigh: Irish people need to wake up. That any government thought they could sell this to people as an effective measure is astonishing. The fact that FFG believe the Irish people will swallow this shows what they think of the people they represent.

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    Mute Sigfrid Blanc
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:34 PM

    @lar keogh: There are no direct flights into Ireland from 32 of the 33 countries so the “quarantine” passengers will be connecting passengers mixed with direct passengers.
    Chances of transmissions of the disease is likely lower on a short haul connecting flight than shopping in Tesco.
    If we were to quarantine all people on every flights, all hotels across the country wouldn’t even be enough.
    But I don’t know how they’ll be able to handle the logistics of this within the airport once the number of flights into Ireland ramp up in a month or two. There are currently 20/30 flights a day into Dublin that’s easily manageable, but even if we go back to 50% of the precovid flights, that’s 150/200 flights a day.
    No matter what the gov says, a few countries in Europe have tried the exact same system last year, it collapsed as soon as the traffic of passengers increased. While it’s a good idea on paper, it’s simply not sustainable.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 10:22 PM

    @Mogh Roith: They only represent themselves.

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    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 11:18 PM

    @Sean O Rodaigh: yeah would make more sense if all people flying in has to quarantine as the possible infected can transmit to the elite on the plane.

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    Mute James Browne
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 11:38 PM

    @Sigfrid Blanc: What about this, when the announcement is made on the plane what’s to stop people who have come from or transiting through one of the countries saying nothing and then disembarking the plane.

    Also what is your source for flights ramping up in a month or two?

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    Mute Sigfrid Blanc
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    Mar 24th 2021, 9:51 AM

    @James Browne: That was my point, it’s not manageable.

    As soon as the level 5 is lifted and that the fine to travel abroad are lifted in April’s 30th (that’s when it expires in the law), it’s likely that flights will resume to a higher level than now, unless the temporary law is extended of course.
    Regardless on when it happens, flights will eventually ramp up, that’s inevitable and will make the hotel quarantine even less manageable.

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Mar 24th 2021, 4:40 PM

    @Mogh Roith: fffg has always had contempt for the people always thought they are so far above the ordinary people

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    Mute Jason Shortt
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:25 PM

    There are no direct flights to Ireland from the majority of the countries thst are on the quarantine list. So, people arriving from those countries will have to travel via a country that is not on the quarantine list. So, you could have a plane load of people arriving, only one of whom would have to quarantine, despite that they all sat together for several hours on a plane. Personally, I’m totally against mandatory quarantine., but it makes zero sense in these circumstances. We are governed by muppets.

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:18 PM

    It’s absolutely pointless, look at the countries on the list, most of them are from Africa. Mozambique etc. But you can fly to Spain, Portugal and France on a holiday where most people are going and bringing the virus back. The September/October wave was people coming back from them places on holiday. Absolutely pointless. Uk has a 5,000 pound fine if caught going on holiday to the continent that’s the way it needs to go plus quarantine will stop it.

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    Mute Peter Peterski
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:37 PM

    @Mark Dit: “But you can fly to Spain, Portugal and France on a holiday where most people are going and bringing the virus back”

    Citation needed. What’s your source other than assumption? The virus is HERE, nobody needs to bring it back. Not to mention that the countries you named have lower incidence rates than Ireland at present.

    I think the commonly reported statistic is that c. 2% of all cases are travel related but that’s quite an old statistic at this point. Given the requirements for PCR tests and generally lower travel numbers, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was significantly less than the 2%.

    The whole mandatory hotel quarantine thing makes sense only in limited circumstances and it’s not just window dressing by the government. It will not improve the situation. A case can be made for using it as variant prevention but it’s so easy to circumvent that I have my doubts if it will be effective.

    56
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    Mute Peter Peterski
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:39 PM

    @Peter Peterski: it should say “and it’s NOW just window dressing”… typonese ;-)

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:10 PM

    @Peter Peterski: we are an island mate, how do you think it got here in the first place. We had cases in single figures during the summer. Late July to September thousands of people went on holidays and cases shot up, we went back into lockdown, opened back up in December and we are still in this mess. All because we let people go on holiday last summer and Havnt recovered. It’s not rocket science but people seem to think it is. Stick all these stats where the sun don’t shine. It’s simple. Close airports and ports to a full non essential travel.

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    Mute Mark Dit
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:25 PM

    @Mark Dit: we also encouraged tourists to come here on holiday last summer with no restrictions no tests nothing. Which was unbelievable.

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    Mute Peter Peterski
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:34 PM

    @Mark Dit: I don’t disagree in principle, but the time for that kind of quarantine/closure was a year ago (with all those people coming from the races or all those Italians coming even after the match was cancelled).

    And yes, relaxing in the Autumn and then for Xmas, when the more contagious UK variant was brought in, were not the best courses of action. But I disagree with your assumption that the problem is people bringin it back *now* – this is simply incorrect.

    The milk has been spilled, and what the government is doing is putting a barrier around the spill because that makes people think they’re doing something – instead of bringing more paper towels to wipe it (that’s my elaborate vaccine metaphor ;-))

    It’s the community transmission that is the problem at the moment and you dont’ see local COVID cases being under mandatory quarantine (worked in Singapore and Vietnam, just saying! :)).

    The real issues are people not wearing masks and shops not really policing that, people not keeping their distance, disregarding safety measures and so on.

    In terms of travel the only concern might be COVID variants but this kind of quarantine won’t really do much against those either. You’d have to go the UK route with their Day 2/Day 8 mandatory variant testing kits.

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    Mute Sean O Rodaigh
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:00 PM

    When the plane lands anybody who has to quarantine stays in the plane whilst everyone else disembark! Please tell me I have misunderstood this- Wouldn’t everyone on the plane need to be quarantined? – This year is done for if this is the carry on from the civil servants running the show

    81
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    Mute Liam Morgan
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 7:44 PM

    Pay the fine for not going to the hotel and then work away so ?

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    Mute Ally Mc Culladgh
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:00 PM

    @Liam Morgan: You have to pre-book and pay in advance.

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    Mute ⚡ Seánie ⚡
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:01 PM

    @Liam Morgan: How much is the fine? There’ll be some craic if it’s less that €1,875.

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    Mute Sarah Lou
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:08 PM

    @⚡ Seánie ⚡: up to 4k I believe from a google search, its 3200 for my family to quarantine should i get a strong urge to go to south africa or …. Austria?!

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    Mute Liam Morgan
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:23 PM

    @Ally Mc Culladgh: no ya don’t

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    Mute Max Power
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:42 PM

    Jebus chr1st… we going to get daily numbers of quarantine hotel bookings now …. fergal bowers will need to stock up on biros and few more writing pads to keep his numbers

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 7:57 PM

    Another way to fleece people. A year too late and a look at what incompetent means

    91
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    Mute Goran Josifov
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:41 PM

    @Marc Power: It’ll be more us the tax payer being fleeced by having to pay for the empty rooms, for I suppose that those hotels that entered into the contract to provide quarantine accommodation made it under the assumption that empty rooms will be paid by the government. 100% occupancy is more profitable than unknown occupancy. Similarly happened with emergency accommodation when plenty of hostels entered into contract with DCC at a fixed high price for all beds, empty or occupied, thus avoiding price and occupancy fluctuations. So for this quarantine accommodation it’ll cost just under 12 million a month. Any empty occupancy will have to be paid by us.

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    Mute Peter Peterski
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:36 PM

    @Goran Josifov: Would be interesting to find out the details of the contract. I hope the government did not do anything that silly. It’s not like the hotels are fully booked out given the current state of things. Which means they probably did something exactly that silly ;-)

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    Mute RJ.Fallon
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    Mar 24th 2021, 1:13 PM

    @Goran Josifov: Why would you pay for empty rooms?.the taxpayer is not paying these bookings, .

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    Mute Proudly Italian
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:50 PM

    ….and what if I fly to Belfast and drive all the way down to dublin?

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    Mute This time its personable!
    Favourite This time its personable!
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:23 PM

    If the plane lands in the woods and there’s no one around to hear it, do they still have to quarantine? Asking for a friend called Mike!

    37
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    Mute Colm Phillips
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 7:46 PM

    4172..wow

    35
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    Mute Hugh Corcoran
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:08 PM

    Is this going to be the new daily number of Doom. Replacing the decreasing hospitalisations figures.

    28
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    Mute Patrick St Lawrence
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:17 PM

    What is the point of reporting 4172 persons have flown in, without saying exactly what the time frame around this is? Sloppy, lazy reporting.

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    Mute Sarah Lou
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:51 PM

    @Patrick St Lawrence: And how many of them have contributed to the current covid situation, didnt quarantine, purpose of travel etc etc etc. Today 24 deaths have sadly been reported. 26 people have booked into quarantine….a drop in the ocean.

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    Mute Paloma Bayley
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:22 PM

    You’re allowed to leave the room for exercise 3 TIMES DAILY. You couldn’t make it up…

    25
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    Mute Eddie Michael
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:45 PM

    How many redirected to Belfast and drive over the border…..

    21
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    Mute Proudly Italian
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 10:41 PM

    @Eddie Michael: my thought exactly

    8
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    Mute Aisling Boyle
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 7:48 PM

    5+15+6=26 not over 26, ffs

    19
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    Mute murt de murty
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:17 PM

    @Aisling Boyle: jeez I thought I was instagram for a minute when I saw a sum popping up!

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    Mute David Joseph
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:59 PM

    Why would you pay nearly 2k when you could circumvent the ‘rules’ by arriving through another country for a fraction of the cost? Clowns running the circus.

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    Mute Seán Corcoran
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 7:43 PM

    Can we staycation??

    13
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    Mute Claude Saulnier
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 8:57 PM

    There must be nothing else to report. Oh, I forgot, nothing happens in a confinement other than counting m. I am off to count sheep. Will report tomorrow.

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    Mute Paloma Bayley
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:19 PM

    You’re allowed to leave your room for exercise? Say what?!

    12
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    Mute Jamo
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 10:12 PM

    Can gardai not set up a checkpoint on the M1 at the border and stop cars coming south from Belfast Airport or any with southern reg coming into the Republic?

    8
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    Mute David Hanly
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    Mar 24th 2021, 6:03 AM

    @Jamo: A registration plate has nothing to do with where you live. A person living in Northern Ireland could be driving a company car registered to his employer in the Republic of Ireland.

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    Mute pat seery
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 10:54 PM

    Using The Army Lads As cheap Labour It Seems

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    Mute Richard Griffin
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    Mar 24th 2021, 6:59 AM

    @pat seery: and not give them a vaccination. Ridiculous, lads n ladies of the Defence Forces are to stay in the hotels, get paid peanuts and then return to their own families..

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    Mute Andy Martin
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    Mar 23rd 2021, 9:58 PM

    Yiz are all experts arent yiz

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    Mute Michael Maher
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    Mar 24th 2021, 10:45 AM

    What happens to those who arrive with no money, will they still be imprisoned for two weeks in a hotel under army escort and military observation or will the ones with no money be sent to one of our normal prisons.

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    Mute Nickwhick
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    Mar 24th 2021, 5:22 AM

    I live in on of the countries on the list. If I go on holidays which I plan to for two weeks before I come home. Do I still quarantine? Also I’m vaccinated, so are my parents, so will most of the over 50,s by the time I come home in July.

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    Mute Laz Mahon
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    Mar 25th 2021, 7:43 AM

    Perhaps this plan for quarantine may benefit Asylum seekers . Why is Nigeria not on the list, considering another new strain, known as B1525 or the Nigerian variant, has been found in Ireland.

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    Mute Rob Gale
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    Mar 24th 2021, 3:11 AM

    A little two week holier in a hotel actually sounds class right now

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