Britain’s arrivals since December 11 face only Christmas

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The Clinical Director of the Health Service Executive has said that the new advice for all those arriving from Great Britain since December 8 to isolate themselves is “painful” but necessary.

Dr Colm Henry said the 14-day isolation council means that anyone who has come to Ireland from England, Scotland or Wales on or after December 11 should eat Christmas dinner only in their room.

This follows the HSE’s decision yesterday to update the restriction requirements for people entering Ireland from Great Britain with the new strain of the virus, raising fears of further transmission.

Around 30,000 people have traveled to Ireland from Great Britain since December 8. Dr. Henry said surveillance of these passengers will be improved, and they will be contacted and notified of the latest public health advice.

The previous advice to these passengers was to restrict their movements for 14 days, but due to the new Covid-19 variant in England, they are now advised to self-isolate.

Dr. Henry told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that this meant “staying in their room at all times” unless they had to leave for “essential purposes.”

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“We know how painful this is for people who have waited so long to go home,” he said, but added that action was necessary to “ensure that you are not the agent of transmission of this new strain.”

Dr Henry also revealed that positive cases of coronavirus originating from Great Britain have been identified in Ireland and that the National Virus Reference Laboratory will carry out genomic sequencing on them to see if the new variant has made it here.

He said the ability to do sequencing in Ireland is being developed.

The assumption is that the new strain is already here due to “extraordinary growth in virus transmission, beyond the worst predictions” of recent days, he said.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin told RTÉ Today With Claire Byrne: “Most infectious disease experts tell me that it is inconceivable that the variant is not already here, we have to act as if it is here.”

He admitted it was a “big question” and “very, very difficult” for self-isolating people spending Christmas in their bedroom, but “that’s the public health advice.”

The travel ban from Great Britain to Ireland will be reassessed on December 31. When asked about people traveling home through Northern Ireland, Martin said “there is not much we can do about it”.

As the upward trend in Covid-19 cases continues, businesses and families are preparing for the imposition of stricter restrictions beginning on Christmas Eve.

The country will return to Level 5 restrictions with adjustments between December 24 and January 12.

The restaurants and gastronomic pubs, as well as the beauty and hairdressing salons, will close tomorrow, Christmas Eve.

Until St. Stephen’s Day, visits from up to two other homes will be allowed. No new intercountry travel will be allowed after December 26.

Yesterday saw 970 additional Covid-19 infections and 13 deaths of people who had the virus.

During the last seven days, 4,478 cases were reported, 110% more than the previous week.

Both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Medical Director Dr. Tony Holohan have expressed grave concern about infection rates.

Dr. Holohan said that this “extraordinary” infection rate would significantly increase the risk associated with intergenerational social mixing during Christmas.

He urged people to rethink their Christmas plans, especially when it comes to visiting vulnerable people.

Dr. Holohan also cautioned that it will take time for the vaccine to take full effect.

Meanwhile, the government said it expects there to be daily flights during the current travel ban, to repatriate Irish people who are stranded in Britain.

Irish citizens have been left stranded after travel between Britain and Ireland was banned, due to concerns about a new strain of coronavirus spreading in south-east England.

The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that more than 350 Irish residents were repatriated yesterday by air and sea.



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