8th March 2021: Please see updated travel advice from HSE.
Updated categories related to travel
Healthlink has updated the referral categories for COVID 19 testing in alignment with the revised criteria for testing people who have travelled from other countries.
- Travel from Category 1 Country; Travel from a Category 2 country will be introduced from this evening (8th March 2021).
- Travel from UK; Travel from South Africa; Travel from Brazil will be closed off.
Those requiring a home test will route to NAS, and those who may need assistance to get to a clinic will be identifiable.
Travel from Category 1 Country
People who have travelled from a category 1 country are required to quarantine for 14 days. They have an option to take a RT-PCR test no less than 5 days after arrival, and if the result of this test is negative/ ‘not detected’ , their period of quarantine can end.
Travel from a Category 2 country
People who travel to Ireland from any of the high risk countries (33 countries listed as at 4th March), must complete a 14-day quarantine period. They must complete the full 14 days of quarantine - regardless of whether they have a negative test result.
Advice on Travel to Ireland during the Covid 19 pandemic, including the list of Category 2 countries is available here
To date, people who have travelled from a category 2 country had one test at day 5. Updated HSPC guidance is due to be circulated tomorrow whereby those who have travelled from a category 2 country will require a test at day 0/1 and at day 10.
This group will be required to have mandatory hotel quarantine in due course.