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AFTER MONTHS OF uncertainty about international travel, a new EU plan is expected to help launch the aviation sector safely.
The new EU traffic light system was approved at EU level on October 13.
Before this, there was mainly an ad hoc system, with many countries deciding their own rules and regulations.
While most EU countries opened their borders in June, allowing tourists to go on vacation or people to travel on business, Ireland took a stricter approach than many.
The Green List allowed travel for non-essential reasons to a very limited (and seemingly shrinking) set of locations. Since then, that system has been scrapped in favor of the new EU-wide system.
So what is this new plan?
The EU traffic light system for international travel will come into effect in Ireland from tomorrow.
Under the plan, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control will publish a weekly map of the EU using a three-stage color system (green, orange and red) to indicate the level of risk in each area.
The levels will be determined by a variety of epidemiological factors, including the incidence of 14 days per 100,000 population and the level of positive tests.
The updated map is published weekly on Thursdays.
If it comes from a green region, what does that mean?
Currently, there are no green countries on the list, but people arriving in Ireland from the green regions of the EU do not have to restrict their movement for 14 days.
Well, what if you come from an orange region?
The government agreed that the requirement for those arriving from orange locations to restrict their movements can be waived if they have a negative Covid-19 PCR test result up to three days before arrival.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has said that passengers will have to undergo the test of “their own free will”, stating that if they do not have a negative test, they will be asked to follow the advice to restrict their movements for 14 days after the arrival. .
And the red countries?
The current requirement to restrict movement for 14 days after the arrival of a red region remains, but the government agrees that this can be waived as soon as possible after a negative result of a test of Covid-19 PCR approved taken five days after arrival, with travelers restricting movements until then.
Testing requirements for arrivals from red countries will be in place “in a matter of weeks,” according to Ryan.
What about children, do they have to be tested?
Children under the age of 6 must be exempt from the testing requirements.
So which regions are currently green, orange, and red?
The new ECDC map was released on Thursday and will be applied when the traffic light system enters Ireland on Sunday. Regions currently listed as orange include Norway, Finland, and areas of Greece.
Most of the other areas are currently red.
The new ECDC map to be applied when the traffic light system enters Ireland on Sunday.
Regions currently listed as orange include Norway, Finland, and areas of Greece.
The regions of Denmark, Latvia and the Canary Islands have been removed from the amber list. https://t.co/khG08ual79
– Christina Finn (@ christinafinn8) November 5, 2020
What is the government’s advice on all this?
The Department of Foreign Affairs, which sets government policy on travel, states that Ireland is implementing the new traffic light approach to travel, which applies to EU countries and the UK.
- Yes you are considering traveling outside of Ireland, the Department of Foreign Relations says it continues to discourage nonessential travel abroad, different from countries that are part of the EU approach in terms of “ traffic lights ”, where the advice is to exercise a high degree of caution (this includes Great Britain, but not Northern Ireland).
What about pre-departure tests at Irish airports?
In terms of a testing regime in Ireland, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has said the government wants to ensure that such a system does not hamper HSE’s capacity.
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This week he told an Oireachtas committee that he is confident such a testing regimen could “be done quite quickly.”
He said the government has engaged with the DAA, which has engaged with about 20 vendors that can supply Covid-19 testing.
Ryan said he hopes the private sector will provide the evidence. Testing does not necessarily have to take place at its airports, he said, adding that there are considerations that it could take place elsewhere or that people could be tested before a private operator leaves.
What does NPHET think of all this?
Medical Director Tony Holohan has said that international travel remains unsafe.
If inbound passenger testing is entered here, the “most efficient” method to handle viral import is to have a 5-7 day restricted movement period with a symptom check and a Covid-19 test on day 5 after arrival, he said.
“This approach can still miss up to 15% of imported cases. I understand that Finland and Germany are among the countries that have expressed intentions to adopt this measure as part of their travel policies, ”Holohan said this week.
However, the government only seems to be taking this approach for the red region areas as of now. Ryan said this week that while they will be engaging with NPHET in implementing the traffic light system and welcome their advice, it is the government that will make the travel decisions, not NPHET.
This plan relates to travel within Europe, what about the US?
In terms of travel between the EU and the US, the new EU protocol for rapid tests to be published soon should provide a harmonized approach to travel-related testing.
European Commission Aviation Director Filip Cornelis recently told the Oireachtas Transport Committee that while these measures will be implemented first in Europe, he could see the scope of working with other countries adopting similar protocols.
He said the United States would be an “obvious candidate” but said “it is still a little early to take those steps as far as we are concerned.”
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