Covid-19: India may be added to mandatory hotel quarantine list of high-risk countries Indian coronavirus variant B1617 could become ‘of concern’ as more data emerges
about 4 hours ago Updated: about 2 hours ago
Senior public health officials will meet on Wednesday to discuss potentially adding India to the mandatory hotel quarantine list of high-risk countries, it is understood.
Two Government sources said that the expert advisory group on travel will likely make a recommendation on the status of India following the meeting tomorrow.
It comes as the Department of Health in Northern Ireland announced on Tuesday morning that India has been added to its “red list” of countries.
LMFM By Ruth O Connell The number of ICU patients in public hospitals here with Covid-19 has dropped 15% in the last week
Arrivals from 58 countries are now subject to mandatory hotel quarantine after the updated list of high-risk states came into operation this morning.
Those travelling to Ireland from places like Israel, Palestine and Andorra must stay in the facilities for 12 nights at their own expense or else run the risk of jail-time or a fine.
Discussions are expected to continue this week on following advice from health officials on adding EU countries and the US to the list, despite opposition from some at the Cabinet table.
The Government plans to invest â¬17 million in upgrades for local authorities and businesses to help create outdoor dining spaces.
Under a new scheme, businesses will be able to apply for grants of up to â¬4,000 each to invest in outdoor seating and other amenities.
International data
Orla Hegarty, assistant professor of architecture at University College Dublin, said the Irish figures on outdoor transmission were not robust but they were in line with data from other countries. She said a study in China found that only three out of 1,200 cases examined were transmitted out of doors.
She told RTÃ radio 1âs Today with Philip Boucher-Hayes that âoutdoor events need a lot of protection around them, people need to realise that close conversations can be high risk, that sharing a car or a taxi or a bus to get there can be very high risk.