Hols hopes dashed as Taoiseach extends travel ban
»»Foreign travel ban is extended until July 20 »»publication of safe countries list postponed
TAOISEACH Micheal Martin has extended the international travel ban until July 20.
The Government will publish a “green list” of safe countries we can travel to without having to go into 14 days’ quarantine on return.
That list was meant to be published this Thursday.
Mr Martin dashed holiday hopes when he said: “We simply have to stay the course.”
But he warned even then it will still be “under review”.
The news is devastating for thousands of Irish holidaymakers whose travel plans have been dashed. And there was no help for the domestic tourism industry as Ireland is effectively closed to foreign tourists too.
Mr Martin said it is “very important” we don’t undo all the good work that we have done already in battling the virus.
He added: “I want to acknowledge the solidarity and sacrifices that people across the country have made in suppressing Covid in Ireland.
“Many families have lost loved ones while others who have recovered from the virus have had a life-altering experience.
“What is very important now is we do not undo the very good work, the significant work that has been undertaken to date and we don’t undermine the sacrifices that have been made by so many.
“And that is why we’re adopting a cautious approach to the international travel situation.
“We know from the reports at the weekend we are still in an internationally very volatile situation as witnessed in Spain, as witnessed in the UK, and that is informing our view as second waves are emerging across Europe.
“We have to make sure in this country the number of cases remains low, that transmission and the R rate are kept low.
“We need to keep the virus
suppressed if we are to continue the reopening of our country.”
Mr Martin said the Government has two top priorities ahead of reopening the skies.
These are the reopening of schools in as normal a way as possible at the end of August and the tackling of the rise in non-covid illnesses not being treated.
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said the Government is postponing the green list because “international travel is now the No1 risk”.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly warned we should be “really wary” of a second wave of infections.
He said: “Officials are very worried about the potential for a second surge really driven by the big upsurge in foreign travel.
“When the green list is published, what is of most concern is the countries that are not on it, that people do not travel to them.”
The UK Government published its list of 74 countries with so-called travel corridors that will not require quarantine after return. It’s not yet known how closely Ireland will mirror that list.
Meanwhile, Mr Donnelly will launch what he described as a new “seek and destroy” contact and tracing app. He said it was good news in the fight against Covid and the “exciting” app would be another helpful weapon in the nation’s “arsenal”.
There have been concerns raised the new app could be an infringement on the right to privacy as it collects personal data.
But Mr Donnelly promised it will not initially collect any personal information and will only be triggered by the user when they suspect they might be Covid-positive.
It will then be able to pinpoint where you were and who you may have been in contact with. Mr Donnelly said: “The research on the app shows more than 80% of people said they were going to download it and we hope that as many as possible do.
“Once you have tested positive and you have downloaded the app, you then give your permission and the app will then contact anyone that has been in close contact with you and that you have tested positive and that they can get tested themselves.
“It’s exciting, if I can use that word in the Covid sense.
“But it is exciting in terms of the nation’s arsenal in pushing back against this horrific disease.”