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Updated 51 minutes ago
HEALTH MINISTER STEPHEN Donnolly has said that if people need to travel home to see their family this Christmas, they must follow the rules set out in the EU traffic light travel plan.
The topic of travel around Christmas has dominated the headlines in recent weeks.
Speaking with Pat Kenny of Newstalk, the Health Minister said there are two different sides to the government’s advice on international travel and Christmas, which he believes the public understands.
“The first part of the message is that we are in the middle of the largest pandemic in 100 years … so the public health council is if you don’t have to travel … in the middle of a global pandemic, which is causing so much pain and pain and cost to everyone, then don’t do it. “
“The second part of the message is, however, if you need to travel, and that includes if you haven’t seen your family, and if you need to go home and see your family at Christmas, then there is a clear traffic light system in place. with the protocols you must follow, ”said Donnolly.
“I think it’s a common sense approach,” he said.
Under the new EU traffic light scheme, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control publishes a weekly map of the EU using a three-stage color system to indicate the level of risk in each area.
The levels are determined by a variety of epidemiological factors, including the incidence of 14 days per 100,000 population and the level of positive tests.
Ireland joined the plan in October.
The Minister of Health @DonnellyStephen says that people can fly home at Christmas as long as they follow the “Traffic Light” system for international travel. @PatKennyNT pic.twitter.com/coCNLnYyD6
– NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) November 18, 2020
Starting at midnight on November 29, travelers arriving in Ireland from the so-called ‘red’ regions in the new traffic light system will be informed that they no longer need to restrict their movements once they pass a Covid-PCR test. 19 (usually a nasal swab) five days after you arrive here.
Travelers arriving from the orange regions do not have to restrict their movements if they carry the results of a negative Covid-19 test taken at least three days before their arrival.
Those who do not obtain a negative test upon arrival in Ireland can take a test five days after arrival.
Passengers will be asked to restrict their movements until they are tested.
Earlier in the Dáil, the Taoiseach said that the government is currently preparing the plan to get out of Level 5 restrictions, and that will include travel.
He said that traveling presents risks, but said it is about “how we handle risks and people’s behaviors.”
The question of rapid tests and their use in terms of travel was also raised today at the Dail with the Taoiseach.
Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald highlighted how the Irish Airline Pilots Association has called for rapid tests to be used for arrivals and departures from Irish airports, stating that it appears to be a “matter of common sense.”
He asked why a comprehensive comparison of the different tests had not been done and how they can be used in each environment.
McDonald accused the Taoiseach of having a “hands-off” approach when it comes to the issue of Christmas travel, saying that testing at airports and ports is “obviously necessary and a priority issue.”
His comments come after the government was asked today to align its testing regimen with today’s European Commission recommendation on the use of rapid antigen tests in certain settings.
The recommendation provides guidance on how to select rapid antigen testing systems, when they are appropriate and who should perform them, said Billy Kelleher MEP of Fianna Fail.
The Commission has recommended that to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 in healthcare and social care settings, rapid antigen tests, which can yield results in approximately one hour, should be considered upon admission to healthcare facilities as well. as for classification. of symptomatic patients or residents.
In high prevalence situations or where PCR testing capacity is limited, the use of rapid antigen tests should be considered for recurrent testing (every 2-3 days) of health care, home and social care personnel, other health centers. long-term care, closed environments such as prisons, detention centers and other reception infrastructure for asylum seekers
and migrants, he says.
Rapid antigen tests should also be used on relevant front-line workers in sectors such as meat processing, plants, slaughterhouses, and other similar settings.
Travel
Today’s recommendation also establishes the possibility of using rapid antigen tests for passengers traveling abroad.
Taking into account the latest scientific and technological advances in light of the
epidemiological situation, the Commission affirms that the ECDC and the
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is jointly developing a protocol for
safer air travel, including establishing a common testing approach at airports.
Kelleher said that scientific advances in the area of testing have changed our understanding of the virus, and therefore these advancements should inform how we view different diagnostic and testing procedures.
While he said that the PCR test should be used whenever possible, because of the time it takes to get a result using the PCR test, it may be beneficial to seek a test system that offers faster results, especially in emergency situations or in emergency situations. the point of care. such as the health sector or in nursing homes.
“A critical aspect of dealing with testing and the broader Covid 19 response is coordination at the European Union level. The cross-border movement will finally begin to return to normal. We should agree to mutually recognize test results when certain diagnostic and scientific standards are met, “said Kelleher.
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The Taoiseach told Dáil that public health authorities “are not convinced of the efficacy of rapid tests or antigen tests.”
He said it was “no mystery” as that has been the position of Irish public health experts “from the start” of the pandemic.
Coordinated approach across Europe
He said the question of a coordinated approach to testing will be discussed at a meeting of the Council of European leaders tomorrow, but said “there was no definitive approach at the European level for antigen testing or rapid testing.”
He confirmed that the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) is conducting a validation process on the LAMP tests, while the National Public Health Emergency Tea (NPHET) is validating the community antigen tests.
The LAMP test uses a throat and nose swab and differs from a PCR test, which is used by the HSE to detect the presence of Covid-19 at its testing centers across the country. The LAMP test can be processed quickly without sending it to a laboratory.
Currently the only validated test recognized in Ireland is the PCR test. After someone has been cleaned, the PCR test must be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
“But the feedback or feeling that I get from public health councils is that they are not turning to antigen testing,” he said.
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