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People who plan to return to Ireland this Christmas will have to pay up to € 200 for a private Covid-19 test if they want to reduce their quarantine period.
The Cabinet has agreed that arrivals from EU “red” countries after midnight on 29 November will not have to restrict their movements for the full 14 days if they produce a negative PCR test at least five days after arrival. .
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is considered the gold standard in testing for Covid-19.
The Covid test is only free for people who fear they have the disease, but not for those who travel to and from other countries or want to shorten their period of restriction of movement.
Several medical centers and other companies offer PCR tests for between € 160 and € 190, with variable response times.
Procedures will vary but generally if you do a PCR test you can expect to get a certificate of clearance that allows you to move freely.
Centric Health in Dublin 4 offers CRP tests for € 185, with results available in 24 to 48 hours. The tests are also available from Liffey Medical for € 180 with a response time the next day. Tropical Medical Bureau offers PCR tests for € 180 including the travel authorization certificate with an overall response time of 36-48 hours.
Meanwhile, an at-home testing company, LetsGetChecked, has started offering Covid-19 testing to Irish customers.
Customers can order the PCR test from LetsGetChecked and perform the lower nasal smear at home before returning it to the company. LetsGetChecked will deliver the results within 24 to 72 hours after receiving the sample by the laboratory.
Travelers from the “orange” regions will be allowed to enter Ireland without restricting their movements, provided they have proof of a negative PCR test that has been performed no more than three days prior to arrival. Travelers from green regions will not need to restrict their movements when arriving in another country.
Based on the EU traffic light system, the map of the green, orange, red and gray regions will be updated every Thursday based on EU epidemiological data and the changes will be applied in Ireland the following Monday.
A country or region will appear gray if there is insufficient data on the tests and incidence rates can be found.
The government has said it will keep travel from the United States under review, but the same “red” country agreements would apply to travelers from there. (Read Conor Pope’s Q&A on the new travel arrangements)
Last Christmas around 1.2 million people arrived and left Dublin Airport during the festive period.
Passengers using Dublin Airport will be able to pay for a pre-flight test for coronavirus after the Cabinet approves a planning waiver for a private test facility at the airport. Testing at the airport will allow Irish travelers to go to regions classified as “orange” under the EU traffic light system for international travel where, if they have a negative test, they will not be required to restrict their movements for 14 days.
Two Covid-19 test centers will also open at Cork and Shannon airports on Thursday, and the tests will be priced at € 149.
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