Holiday take off
Thousands of sunseekers hit the skies despite virus warnings
SUNSEEKERS took to the skies on their holidays yesterday ignoring the country’s top doctor’s advice to cancel foreign travel.
Ryanair flew thousands of passengers from Dublin, Cork and Shannon across Europe. Spanish sun destinations such as Malaga and Alicante were big attractions.
The airline blasted Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan for telling passengers who had already booked their getaway to cancel their plans to prevent a second surge of the virus here.
Mixed messaging continued over travelling abroad as health experts debated the risks involved. But Ryanair chief Eddie Wilson said the airline plans to carry 4.5 million passengers alone this month.
The budget carrier resumed 40% of its flights yesterday and will perform 1,000 flights a day across Europe.
Ryanair Group chief Michael O’leary said Dr Holohan was being over-cautious and should stick to health, not travel.
Frustration and confusion is rising after many lost thousands of euro on their travel and accommodation having listened to the CMO and cancelled their plans.
But now a leading infectious disease expert has said it’s safe to fly once people stick to the Covid-19 protocols. However, the
O’leary
Government has warned against nonessential foreign travel labelling the situation regarding imported cases “volatile”.
Liz Canavan of the Department of the Taoiseach has asked those who have already booked holidays to “bear with” the Government while they establish further guidelines.
At a press briefing yesterday she said: “Covid-19 has not changed, it’s the same infectious disease it was at the beginning of all of this. It is still the disease that is most dangerous for older people.
“During this phase, the Government advice is still to avoid non-essential travel.
“The risk now is that imported cases will spread infection before we can identify the chain of transmission. We understand that the issue of
foreign travel is causing great uncertainty and worry. Some people have holidays booked and don’t know what to do. We are acutely aware of this and ask you to bear with us.”
Prof Jack Lambert, infectious diseases specialist at the Mater and Rotunda hospitals, said he believes it’s safer to travel to Greece than to some areas in Ireland now.
He added: “If we do the handwashing, social distancing and wear a face mask then, yes, it is safe to travel.
“I wouldn’t recommend going to Florida because Covid is rampant in Florida.
“Would I go to Greece, Slovenia?
“Absolutely. I probably think it is safer to go there than city centres in Ireland at the present time because Covid is still circulating in the community in small numbers.
“I think we have to come up with solutions that are practical and not just come up with broad strokes that nobody should travel and everybody should be quarantined. We have to have a measured response to this because going forward, this is not a short-term problem – this is a longtime pandemic.”
Prof Lambert said he has taken care of 700 people who had Covid-19 while working in hospitals and said he didn’t contract the deadly disease because he took all of the precautions.
Meanwhile, Ryanair’s Mr Wilson blasted health advice on flying abroad as “out of step.”
He told RTE’S Today show: “We’ve got to get the balance of public health and restore business as normal.
“And we’re following the European Centre for Disease Control
SAFE Prof Lambert rules on compliance and getting confidence back in travel.” He also pointed out every other European country is operating flights, with the UK announcing air corridors yesterday.
The Government has already been advised by a State-appointed aviation taskforce to lift its 14-day quarantine on arrivals here and its ban on international travel.
However, the Department of Foreign Affairs has also advised against all nonessential overseas travel.
While the Consumer Association of Ireland has said the Government needs to intervene and offer
guidance to airlines.