A FURTHER 18 countries have been added to the list of countries from where people arriving here would be required to quarantine in a hotel, bringing the total to 20. 

Primary legislation is required before people are mandated to quarantine in hotels, but people arriving from ‘category 2′ countries are currently legally required to self-quarantine for a full two weeks. 

Previously, Brazil and South Africa were the only countries on this list. 

The 18 states being added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list include:

• Angola
• Austria
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Cape Verde
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Eswatini
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Rwanda
• Seychelles
• Tanzania
• United Arab Emirates
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Anyone arriving into this country without a negative PCR test is also considered ‘category 2′ and must quarantine for a full two weeks. 

Speaking yesterday about the list, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Austria has been placed on the list due an outbreak of the South African variant in the region.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said passengers arriving from these countries must complete a mandatory 14-day period of self-quarantine.

Under regulations signed into law earlier this month the minister – on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer – can specify additional states as ‘category 2’.

Donnelly said today:

“Under the current Level 5 restrictions nobody should be engaging in non-essential travel at this time. These stringent measures on people arriving to Ireland from 20 states are necessary in responding to the risks posed by variants of concern.

“People who arrive in Ireland must now complete a full mandatory 14-day period of self-quarantine if they have been in any of these states in the previous 14 days. The Government will shortly consider legislation that will require such passengers arriving here to complete this quarantine at a designated facility.”

The Minister for Justice is examining the question of changes to visa arrangements in respect of applicable states being added to the schedule 2 list.

Cabinet 

Mandatory quarantine legislation is due before Cabinet next week.

The government first proposed the plan for mandatory hotel quarantine a fortnight ago but has come under additional pressure to fast-track the measure ahead of its introduction in England.

The UK Government published a list of 33 ‘red list’ countries from which people will be required to spend 10 days in a government-designated hotel.

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has said there is now a need to see a greater focus on human rights, stating that there is a “worrying tendency towards punitive measures and scapegoating, rather than real supports for people who need them to stay at home”.

“It is first and foremost very important that government makes an evidence-based argument when it breaches our fundamental rights in this way. Where it is deemed necessary, it is vital that government puts in place adequate safeguards for those who are detained,” it said.

Yesterday, TheJournal.ie reported that passengers travelling into Ireland to attend a funeral of a loved one from one of the countries on the restricted list will not be exempt from mandatory quarantining in a hotel for 14 days.