The HSE has issued new advice for people who have travelled from the UK to the Republic of Ireland.
It follows a rapid increase in Covid-19 cases in London and the south east of England that are linked to a new strain of Covid-19.
HSE chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry said: “It is important to reassure everyone, that all viruses mutate and change, which can lead to new strains of the virus emerging. However, early analysis of this new strain of Covid-19 suggests that it is significantly more transmissible than other strains but there is currently no information to suggest that this new strain leads to a more severe infection.
“We don’t yet know if the virus has spread outside Great Britain, but we may see cases in Ireland. Our current protective actions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are still the best protection we have against all strains of this virus.”
Advice to people who have travelled from England, Scotland, Wales since December 8th
- You should self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the date of arrival into Ireland. The previous advice was to restrict movements for 14 days — this upgrades this advice from just staying at home, to staying in your room.
- You should arrange a Covid-19 test, by calling a GP or GP Out of Hours services. This should be done as soon as possible five days after your arrival in Ireland.
- If you have already had a test privately, you need to complete 14 days of self-isolation, regardless of the result of your private test.
- If you develop any symptoms of Covid-19 at any stage, phone your GP and alert them of your recent travel from Great Britain.
- Should your test results be ‘virus not detected’ please continue to self-isolate for the duration of the 14-day period, as you could still be developing symptoms and should protect others from potential risk.
- If you have travelled from Great Britain, please do not visit a nursing home or long term residential facility until you have completed your 14 days of self-isolation.
Dr Henry: “This is a stricter form of advice than the standard 'restrict movements' advice that would otherwise apply to persons travelling to Ireland, but our priorities must be to keep our friends and family safe over Christmas.
“I am asking all those who have travelled to please heed this advice and show this meitheal spirit that we have seen throughout the pandemic. The HSE has written to clinical teams to inform them of this advice and we thank them for their continued support and assistance. “
The current travel ban from the UK has been extended until the end of the year.
