Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Helen Carter

Ireland releases its 'green list' for travel which has one notable exception

The government in Ireland has released a green list of countries safe for travel after the coronavirus pandemic - with European holiday destinations like Italy and Greece on the list.

But there's one notable country missing from the list - Ireland's near-neighbour the UK.

People arriving from Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco and San Marino will not be required to isolate for two weeks.

Others arriving from overseas - with limited exceptions such as essential supply chain workers - are required to fill in a passenger locator form and self-quarantine for 14 days.

People arriving from the UK are not on the green list countries in Ireland (PA)

People crossing the border from Northern Ireland are not subject to restrictions on their movement.

The UK was expected to be excluded, as only countries with a coronavirus infection rate the same or lower than Ireland were allowed on the list.

Holiday destinations such as France, Spain and Portugal have also been omitted.

The government said in a statement it would "continue with plans to strengthen the existing measures for monitoring passengers who arrive into Ireland, including the introduction of an Electronic Passenger Locator Form, enhanced follow-up procedures, a call centre operated by the DAA, and a proposed testing regime for symptomatic passengers at airports and ports".

People arriving from Spain will also have to isolate for two weeks (AP)

It added it would consider processes to restrict flights "in certain circumstances".

"The pandemic is not over and the public health advice remains the same. The safest thing to do is not to travel," the government statement said.

The decision to continue with a quarantine from the UK has previously led to the budget airline, Ryanair, cancelling thousands of flights from the UK and Ireland in July and August.

The airline's chief executive, Michael O'Leary, was highly critical of the quarantine move and urged the Irish government to rethink it.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.