Two of three people who left mandatory quarantine at a Dublin hotel without authorisation have returned.
The quarantining rules came into effect on Friday, with the first passengers impacted having checked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry near Dublin Airport.
Three people who had commenced their quarantine period left the hotel on Saturday.
The Defence Forces and private security guards are involved in monitoring compliance with the rules at hotel quarantine facilities. They do not have the powers to stop people leaving.
If a person leaves prior to the expiration of their quarantine period, it is a criminal offence and gardai are notified.
Gardai were called in on Saturday afternoon when the individuals left the hotel.
Two of the three have now returned to the Crowne Plaza. The search for the third person was ongoing on Sunday afternoon.
Travellers arriving from 33 countries deemed high risk by the Government must quarantine for 12 nights at a designated hotel.
The new quarantine rules also apply to any passenger who arrives from any other country without a negative PCR test for Covid-19 carried out no more than 72 hours before they arrive in Ireland.
The Department of Health has warned those guilty of quarantine breaches are liable for a fine of up to 2,000 euro, imprisonment for one month or both.
Travellers are required to pre-book accommodation in a designated quarantine facility and to pre-pay for their stay.
The cost per adult traveller for a 12-night stay inclusive of all services is 1,875 euro.
The stay at the hotel could be reduced if a person receives a negative test for the virus taken on day 10 of quarantine.
The booking portal for mandatory hotel quarantining went live on the Government website last week.
The Tifco Hotel Group has been appointed as the service provider.
