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Airline passengers can still travel to Ireland on any of the 42 flights scheduled to arrive in Belfast and Derry today. This is despite the 48-hour ban on travel from Great Britain to the Republic starting at midnight on Sunday.
A plane arriving in Belfast from London this afternoon was said to have more than 100 passengers, according to a woman on board. These travelers must head to Dublin on a bus provided by the airline, he said.
The source said his flight “was not 100 percent full” but that approximately 135 were on board with many lines with three passengers. This flight was packed with people who had booked to fly to Dublin with the airline on Sunday, but were unable to travel due to overbooking, he added.
“There was no social distancing in Terminal 2 [in Heathrow] last night . . but almost everyone wore masks at all times, ”he said.
A spokeswoman for Belfast International Airport said Tuesday and Wednesday were expected to be the busiest days for Christmas trips at the airport. But he anticipates lower numbers due to restrictions in Britain.
The travel ban between mainland Britain and the Republic was imposed as a precautionary measure. This followed an announcement by the British government that a mutation of the coronavirus has spread widely in London and south-east England.
Northern Ireland is the only UK entity that has yet to initiate a travel ban or make any changes to Christmas restrictions. Scotland’s Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has imposed a travel ban between Scotland and the rest of the UK during the festive period. People living in Wales are locked up at midnight, while those living in London and the south-east of England have been placed on Level 4, the most restrictive, during Christmas.
Northern Ireland Prime Minister Arlene Foster told BBC Good Morning Ulster it is “likely” that the new strain detected in London is already found in the North and the Republic as well. He said that four cases have been detected in NI with a “different sequence than others.” Samples of these have been sent to England for examination, he added.
Speaking on Morning Ireland, RTÉ Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said the ban on travel to and from Britain will allow the government to assess how the new strain is spreading and to work with the UK government and European colleagues to determine the action.
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