NPHET are to meet on Thursday to discuss the possible need for more restrictions before Christmas as the country struggles to stop the spread of Covid-19.
The news comes after the Department of Health confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in the country on Wednesday.
The Omicron case was identified in the last week, and is a current case.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said: “The NPHET Epidemiological Surveillance Team has been meeting regularly over the course of the last week to monitor the situation relating to the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 and, today, we are confirming that one case has been identified in Ireland.”
He asked that people who have travelled to high-risk areas in the past month present themselves for testing regardless of their symptoms.
He said: “The Government has announced updated travel measures for all passengers travelling to Ireland from Scheduled States. In the first instance, the current advice remains that all non-essential travel to or from these states should be avoided.
"If you have travelled from any of Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa or Zimbabwe to Ireland since 1 November you should isolate and present for PCR testing, regardless of symptom status.”
Dr Holohan said Ireland’s focus must remain on suppressing the virus.
He said: “The key focus for all of us must be to continue to suppress the current wave of infection that is driven by the Delta variant of COVID-19. We know how to break the chains of transmission of this virus. The measures with which we are all so familiar have worked against previous variants of COVID-19, they can successfully suppress transmission of the Delta variant and we are optimistic that they will work against the Omicron variant.”
NPEHT gave a briefing on Wednesday to explain the government's new travel measures that will come into effect on Friday.
The new restrictions will mean all people travelling into Ireland will now need a negative antigen or PCR test to enter the country.
Unvaccinated people will have to provide a negative PCR test. However, fully vaccinated people will be given a choice to avail of a PCR or antigen test, and the tests will have to be privately paid for.
If travellers opt to have an antigen test, they must take it no more than 48 hours before travelling. Those who choose a PCR test can take it up to 72 hours before departure.
More restrictions are expected to be decided upon in the coming days as NPHET meet to discuss Ireland’s current Covid situation.
Have your say on the latest restrictions below, or click here.
