DIGITAL CERT WITH AN IRISH PROVISO
Yes, you can travel on a negative PCR test if you haven’t been fully vaccinated – but we’ll advise you not to do so
THE Government will have a limited EU digital green certificate for travel that will be what one senior minister called, ‘An Irish solution to an Irish problem’.
Frantic efforts across several Government departments have still failed to come up with a foolproof validation of PCR tests.
Ministers this weekend revealed a ‘form’ of the EU digital cert will be issued to people.
Despite this, the Government’s advisory against non-essential travel for the unvaccinated will remain in force after July 19.
A Cabinet told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘There is a lot of talk about us being legally required under EU law to introduce the digital green certificate for travel, but what they fail to understand is that each state can choose the detail of our certs.
‘So we don’t have a system to independently and categorically certify negative PCR or antigen tests.’
The return of non-essential travel will resume, despite a number of Government sources saying they expect daily Covid cases to reach 1,000 by the end of this month.
A source on the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) this weekend said the body will continue to advise against non-essential travel, despite the introduction of the EU digital cert.
The source told the MoS: ‘Our public stance and our continuing private guidance to the Government is that we advise against all nonessential travel except for those who are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid in the last six months.’
And the Government will stand by NPHET’s advice, despite the introduction of the travel pass, and urge those who have not been vaccinated not to travel. Regardless, if travellers present a negative PCR test at airports there will be no impediment to them leaving the State.
Similarly, a negative PCR test from an EU citizen – including Irish people – entering or re-entering the State after July 19, will not necessitate mandatory hotel quarantine.
One minister said: ‘It is an Irish solution to an Irish problem. We will tell people that it is legally possible to travel with a negative PCR test – but in the same breath we will tell them that they should not go.
‘We will continue to advise against non-essential travel for all those who are unvaccinated and have not suffered Covid in the last six months.’
Meanwhile, civil servants are working over the weekend to produce legislation amending the 1947 Health Act to facilitate a ‘hospitality pass’ for the fully vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19.
Senior Government sources confirmed that antigen testing will not play a part in the Covid hospitality pass for pubs and restaurants.
The Government expects it to be ready by July 26 ‘at the earliest’.
Ministers also told the MoS that they are speaking to the HSE and Department of Health about opening vaccine centres on a 24-hour basis.
‘The publicans want it, Leo Varadkar’s department wants it and Tony Holohan has said it can go ahead for the vaccinated and those who have had Covid,’ one minister said.
‘Certainly, there are those in the Department of Health who would believe that we should actually leave indoor hospitality closed until the entire adult population is vaccinated, but there you go.
‘So cases will be hitting 1,000 a day here, 100,000 a day in Britain and restrictions are being reimposed across Europe and beyond due to the Delta variant, but on we go reopening hospitality.’
Ministers, TDs and senators also claimed there is not the same ‘obsession’ among the public with the indoor hospitality issue that there appears to be within
‘elements
‘We’ll tell people it is legally possible to travel’
of the media’.
Senior Government sources said the EU digital pass will proceed on July 19, but those without a vaccine will be advised not to travel.
‘I think the digital pass will be doable, but I don’t envisage any change to NPHET advice, which Government has accepted,’ a source said.
A minister added: ‘The advice was for fully vaccinated and recovered – off you go, knock yourselves out and travel.
‘And then the travel advice will be – if you’re not in one of those two categories, where you can still travel with a PCR test, you shouldn’t.
That was the advice we got two weeks ago, that was accepted, I’m not expecting that to change. [Chief Medical Officer] Tony’s [Holohan] view is, look, once you’re fully vaccinated or recovered you’re grand.
‘But we’re not going to legislate to stop people from travelling on a test.’
However, there is deep concern about young people, who are predominately unvaccinated,
‘We won’t legislate to stop people travelling’
travelling abroad this summer.
A senior source at the Department of Health said: ‘For example, the Spanish are in serious trouble. There is a tradition in Spain when they finished whatever their leaving cert is called, they all head off to Cyprus or somewhere.
‘And they interact. So 9,000 of them went to some island and 3,000 tested positive for Delta.
‘So it’s a 33% attack rate, which is unheard of. And because they were under 18 they couldn’t be quarantined
‘It won’t kill you, but it could make you very sick’
and they’re allowed back all over Spain.
‘And the Spanish are banjaxed. ‘And NPHET’s concern now is that a bunch of young people head off from Ireland, they get together, they do what everyone should do and go for it. A third or half of them get infected.
‘They come back and they just spread all over the country.
‘And the bit that no one sees, it certainly isn’t registering, is [that] this thing isn’t going to kill you, but it could make you very, very sick.’