TAOISEACH Micheál Matin has defended the addition of a further 16 countries to the mandatory hotel quarantine lost.
On Friday evening, 16 countries were added – and Martin says that public health guidance provided a ‘fundamental rationale’ for the decision.
EU counties such as Italy, France and Belgium were added while the USA and Canada have also been added.
Anyone arriving from these countries from 4am next Thursday morning will have to quarantine in a hotel for 12 days.
“I think, in the first instance, no one wants these type of measures and we know we have been in a lockdown situation since Christmas because of the terrible wave at that particular time and the variant, the B117, has been a key factor in terms of the situation over the last while,” Martin said.
“We should take hope from what has been happening over the last while.
“We have kept the pressure on the virus. We have stabilised the situation and the vaccination programme is working.
“That gives us great hope for the summer period.”
The additional countries added to the list are: Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Turkey, the USA, Canada, Armenia, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Curaçao, Maldives, Ukraine.
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