Air travel has been drastically curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic as this photo taken at Dublin airport earlier this months shows. RollingNews.ie photo.
By Irish Echo Staff
Publication of Ireland's so-called 'green list' for travel to countries during the Covid-19 pandemic has been delayed because Taoiseach Micheál Martin has traveled out of the country for a European Union summit that is focused on financial relief for member states as a result of the pandemic.
Many EU states, Ireland included, have been hit hard by a precipitous drop in travel and tourism levels as a result of Covid-19.
After approval by the cabinet the list was due to be published today. It will now be published later in the week after a rescheduled cabinet meeting, according to reports.
The list will name countries that the Irish government considers relatively safe to travel to, this on the basis that the effects of the pandemic in those countries are more or less on a par with Ireland.
The United States will not be on the green list, according to all indications.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, while indicating a release of the list later this week, said the public health advice on travel is the same as it has been from day one, which is do not travel abroad except for essential reasons.
Speaking at Leinster House, the minister said if people do have to travel abroad they must restrict their movements for two weeks.
The green list, however, will allow for a release from this requirement.
The minister, according to an RTE report, said the green list is in recognition that there is a small number of countries that have a similarly low level of Covid-19 to Ireland.
However, he said people should only travel to these countries for essential reasons.
He added that the view is that from a risk perspective, when people come back from these countries after an essential trip, the requirement to restrict movements for 14 days does not apply.
Minister Donnelly said essential reasons include: essential work, caring for a family member abroad, or Irish citizens returning home.
