A woman who took multiple sun holidays during the country’s Covid-19 lockdown has said she regrets doing so after contracting the virus.
The woman, who spoke to Newstalk radio, said she had taken five holidays to Turkey and Lanzarote when feeling overwhelmed by news related to the pandemic.
After contracting the virus on one of her trips, she said she would “never ever do it again”.
“I flew out on the 2nd of January. To be honest, I actually couldn’t listen to any more stuff here, I was brainwashed,” she said.
“Every time I turned on my phone there was [something Covid-related], everything was all over Facebook, it was all over the news, it just got to me and I just got up and left.
“So I’m putting my two hands up here – I went, and while I was there, I caught Covid.
“Ok, I made the mistake, I done it, I’m one that will jump on a plane and go anywhere, just get up and go anywhere and I’ve learnt, I will never ever do it again.”
Fines and restrictions
It comes as the Government is planning to increase the €500 fine for those found attempting to take a holiday abroad amid the Covid-19 pandemic to €2,000.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he had asked Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to increase the fines as a “significant deterrent”, after it emerged that about 60 per cent of those currently travelling are returning Irish holidaymakers.
The Government will also announce further restrictions on inbound travel later on Thursday, with another 18 countries added to the list which will shortly require mandatory hotel quarantine.
Mr Martin said this would include countries from sub-Saharan Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Austria, where authorities are currently worried about an outbreak in ski resorts.
Travellers from these countries will now be subjected to a mandatory hotel quarantine at their own expense. The legislation will be brought to Cabinet next week.
Mr Martin also said restrictions on non-essential travel will be in place for the remainder of the year.
More than 5,200 Irish residents that arrived into Dublin Airport over the course of a week starting at the end of January said they had been on holidays, despite the restrictions on non-essential international travel.
