‘We are asking people to postpone their trip, but if they have to go home, follow the rules’

TÁNAISTE LEO VARADKAR has said that the government is asking people not to travel home for Christmas, but if they feel they have to go home they should “follow the rules.”

Speaking at a briefing tonight, Varadkar said that “there is no ban on international travel or people coming home,” but the government is asking people not to take a trip home if they don’t believe it is. essential.

Both he and Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said it is up to individuals and families to determine whether they feel that people traveling home are essential.

“It is a judgment call and it is the individual who is in the best position to judge that. I think each person’s family circumstances are different, I don’t think we can define that,” Ryan said tonight.

“It has to be on a case-by-case basis, each individual observing their assessment of the needs of the theistic family. If you’re going to come back, be careful, ”he added.

Speaking several weeks ago, Varadkar had said that it was “too early” for people to book a flight home this Christmas.

Asked about his comments tonight, the Tánaiste said that incoming trips to Ireland present the risk of importing Covid-19 cases.

“We have subscribed to the EU traffic light system, if you look at that map, Ireland, Iceland, Finland, Norway are orange in color and pretty much everywhere in Europe, including the kind of places where the Irish tend to live like Britain. , France and Germany are all red. So obviously going from a red zone to an orange zone like Ireland is a risk, ”he said.

For that reason, we ask people to avoid non-essential travel, postpone your trip. But if they feel like they have to go home for personal or family reasons, follow the rules.

The rules that the Tánaiste refers to is the request for international arrivals from outside the ‘green’ countries to restrict their movements when they come to Ireland.

Currently, people arriving in Ireland from orange, red or gray countries are asked to restrict their movements for 14 days.

This is scheduled to change as of Sunday, when people will be able to end their movement restriction if they receive a ‘negative / undetected’ PCR test taken at least five days after arrival.

This also applies to countries outside the EU traffic light system. All passengers arriving in Ireland from abroad must still complete a Covid-19 passenger locator form.

Speaking about the number of people who might be planning to return to Ireland this Christmas, Ryan said it is “a fraction” of the number of people who would normally travel.

“What we are seeing is that the Irish are generally making the decision not to travel collectively. Volumes are minimal, a fraction of what they were previously. All we are seeing is that this is going to continue during this period, ”he added.