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A 48-hour ban on flights from Britain could be extended after the cabinet meets tomorrow.
It comes as fears rise within the government that a new strain of the faster-spreading Covid-19 virus has already reached Ireland.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan yesterday announced a ban on flights to Ireland from Great Britain and restricted ferries only to freight trips.
The travel ban, which took effect at midnight, comes when thousands of people living in Britain were due to arrive in Ireland for Christmas.
In a statement, the government said that the ban will last “at least” until tomorrow, when it will be discussed by the Cabinet.
Talking with him Irish independentRyan said the two-day ban was established to allow the government and public health experts to review the situation before making additional decisions. “It is not likely that there will be a complete return to normality in a few days, but it is a better way to assess what is happening,” said the Green Party leader.
Yesterday, ministers and senior government officials said they believed the new strain, which spreads 70% faster than the original coronavirus, had already reached Ireland.
A senior government source said that four suspected cases of the mutated Covid strain are being analyzed in Northern Ireland.
“There are four cases in the north that are being tested for the new strain.
“We don’t have any confirmed cases in the south, but given the amount of travel between the north and the south, I would be pleasantly surprised if it wasn’t here,” the source said.
Another government source said the fastest spreading tension “has to be here” given that it has been in Britain since September.
Yesterday, the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) announced 764 new cases of Covid-19. This was more than 200 of the 527 infections the day before.
Ryan said the government does not have any evidence to suggest that the increase in cases is due to the new strain.
It came when British Health Minister Matt Hancock said the new strain of the virus was “out of control”.
Chaotic scenes in London followed on Saturday night as people fled the city before it was placed in the new Level 4 lockdown.
The new strain of the virus was identified in south-east England last Monday.
However, the government decided to monitor the situation rather than act immediately.
Cabinet ministers have been in contact with their British counterparts for the past week when new information about the tension emerged.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson placed the region where the virus has spread the fastest on the highest level of Covid restrictions on Saturday.
This includes a ban on any travel by air, rail or road to or from the south-east of England, which includes London.
People living in the region have been asked not to visit other homes during Christmas.
Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy have banned flights from Great Britain.
The government began making plans to ban travel from Britain on Saturday night after Johnson announced the new restrictions.
Airlines were contacted and public health officials were asked to consider the best plan of action to prevent the spread of the new strain in Ireland.
Ryan spoke with British Transport Minister Grant Shapps before the decision to close air and passenger ferry travel between the two countries.
The government is considering how to repatriate people who may have been visiting Britain in recent days and is also hoping to assist passengers moving through British airports before arriving in Ireland.
Following the government announcement, Aer Lingus said it will not operate flights from the UK to Ireland in that period.
Irish independent
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