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The 48-hour ban on travel to and from Britain has been extended until December 31, as several “repatriation flights” bringing stranded Irish residents home will arrive on Tuesday night.
The ban was introduced over the weekend in response to concerns about a mutation of the coronavirus that is reportedly spreading rapidly in London and south-east England.
British analysis suggests that this variant could be up to 70% more transmissible. Consequently, this would lead to a significant acceleration in the spread of the virus. But the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control has said that “there is no indication at this time of an increased severity of the infection associated with the new variant.”
After a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the government extended the travel ban between Ireland and Britain until at least the last day of December.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the moves to introduce level 5 lockdown restrictions are partly due to the government having to be “very careful” given the risk of the new variant. The Green Party leader said a series of “repatriation flights” had been organized to take home Irish residents stranded in Britain for the past two days. He expected about 300 people to return on Tuesday night’s flights.
Some 1,000 people contacted a Department of Foreign Affairs helpline set up to help those stranded in the UK since Monday, he said.
Ryan said the government would be concerned if the border with Northern Ireland became an “open door” for the new strain to enter the Republic.
‘Open door’ concerns
Earlier on Tuesday, the Northern Ireland Executive rejected an immediate travel ban from Britain, opting instead to issue a guide that warns against non-essential travel.
“We are clearly concerned in terms of any open doors. . . If there is any gap in protection, then it is a concern, ”Ryan said.
He said restrictions on inter-county travel after St. Stephen’s Day would also limit cross-border travel. “Inter-county travel restriction will be the main way to hinder that,” he said.
More than 40 other countries have introduced similar travel restrictions or bans between the UK, fearing the Covid-19 variant.
More than 200 Irish trucks were trapped in England when France banned the carriage of goods by road from Great Britain via the UK “land bridge” into continental Europe.
Ryan said he expected the land bridge issue to be resolved Tuesday night, following discussions with the UK and French governments. The new sanitary measures would allow cargo to be shifted again between the UK and France, he said.
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