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IMPROVEMENTS IN IRELAND’s Covid-19 figures has seen the country switch from ‘red’ to ‘orange’ on the EU traffic light map for international travel.
The Canary Islands have also turned orange on the map, which is published weekly every Thursday.
Under the new EU traffic light plan, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control publishes a weekly map of the EU using a three-stage colour system to indicate the level of risk in each area.
Levels are determined by a variety of epidemiological factors including the 14-day incidence per 100,000 population and the level of positive tests.
Ireland signed up to the plan in October, and it became fully operational this month.
The majority of Europe is listed as ‘red’. However, other than Ireland and the Canary Islands, Iceland, some Greek islands, Norway and the majority of Finland are orange. One region in Finland is listed as ‘green’.
#JustPublished
— ECDC (@ECDC_EU) November 19, 2020
Updated weekly 🚦 maps are now online!
These maps aim to support the @EUCouncil Recommendation on a coordinated approach to the restriction of #FreeMovement in response to the #COVID19 pandemic in the EU and UK.
Find more here: https://t.co/CcBVx6B0o5 pic.twitter.com/1rGx66xCr0
As of earlier this month, travellers arriving from orange regions do not have to restrict their movements if they carry the results of a negative Covid-19 test taken three days before their arrival.
Those who do not have a negative test upon arrival in Ireland can have a test taken five days after their arrival.
Passengers will be asked to restrict their movements until they get the test.
From midnight on 29 November, travellers arriving into Ireland from so-called ‘red’ regions in the new traffic light system will be advised that they no longer need to restrict their movements once they pass a Covid-19 PCR test (usually a nasal swab) five days following their arrival here.
Currently, a person is advised to restrict their movements for 14 days following arrival from a ‘red’ region.
Travellers from ‘green’ regions are not requested to restricted their movements or need a test prior to arrival.
If you are travelling to a region that is listed as orange, passengers are urged to check the requirements in relation to testing and restrictions for their destination country, as each EU country sets its own rules.
Covid-19 test centres are no up and running at all major airports in Ireland, with a drive-thru centre opening for business at Dublin Airport today.
Official government policy on international travel is provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Anyone looking to travel into Ireland or abroad, would generally be guided by this advice, which is available on the DFA website.
The department states that if you are considering travelling, it continues to advise against non-essential travel overseas - other than to countries that are part of the EU ‘traffic lights’ approach.
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So if you fly in you can do as you please but if you live here you’re not allowed out. Makes perfect sense
@David Byrne: no, if you fly in you’re still subject to the same restrictions as the rest of us. That has been government advice all along. I’m one of the first to criticise the haphazard and often contradictory advice given by government and NPHET, but at least I criticise them on actual failings and not by creating scenarios that don’t exist. The actual issue is mandating and enforcing those restrictions. That applies to actual residents here equally as it applies to those arriving here.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: the only mandatory requirement for travellers is to fill in the form at the airport. There is no mandatory quarantine for tourists or those living here
@Anna Anna: correct. Now, if you read what I wrote you will see where I specifically stated that the lack of such a mandate is precisely where there is an issue. I am aware of what currently is in place. I was speaking of where there is a failing and what should be happening.
I’m booking Canaries just to get out of this kip for a while. Other countries know how to balance health, the economy and social interaction, even Catalonia relaxing restrictions, bars and restaurants to open with restricted hours. No late night venues. The big difference is the Spanish govt and police will enforce the restrictions, here they just “ask” people to obey. The public have done their bit, but the government can’t seem to deal with the 1% who won’t comply, but as usual it will be you and I, the compliant ones, who will pay the price. I’m ignoring the guidelines from here on, clearly we’re not all in it together.
@John McCann: Spain. Great example.
@John McCann: maybe you can stay away from “this kip” for the next 10 or 15 years. Be happy.
@John McCann: You complain about the 1% who won’t follow the guidelines and then announce you are joining them!!
Good man, well done.
@John McCann: So you’re joining the dreaded 1%? Good man.
@John McCann: you will have your negative PCR test results before you travel I guess. I think it applies to all Spain mainland and Islands.
@John McCann: I think you dropped your toys :(
@John McCann: exactly John Spain have capacity to enforce. These days the rule for traveling is clear Covid test within 72 hours departure, passengers wear facemask and the face shell, the second is optional.
Spain can and is denying the entry to those without clear Covid test, in certain circumstances the person is permitted to entre only if agree to stay in their accommodation room and only leave it to go for the covid test, and yes food is left in a tray at the person room. If the test is clear then free to move, if test is not clear, the person accepted at entry point to stay in their room for two weeks, food in a tray at the door. No one in the sector want to repeat the Tenerife situation, a whole hotel in quarantine. And yes the syndicates, the Unions, have done their homework. Authorities would takeover the basic, cleaning and food, …. think in military, soldiers deployed … they were deployed to assist the nursing homes when most of the carers staff were sick with the Covid
Spain was bullied to open the borders before the medical authority considered safe to do so …. you know my citizens want their summer sun break … if you want the UE economic assistance …. we all can see the result …. second wave
The Canary Islands were doing well until, until Morocco decided they want more money from the EU or wants the EU to maintain their citizens …. so there is an unprecedented arrivals of Morocco citizens that Morocco refuses to allow the entry because of the Covid thing. Morocco did this to all the temporary labour that comes to Europe for the harvest, mums unable to back with their children
Now there’s thousands of young unemployed Moroccan men wondering in the Canary Islands, homeless because their own embassy believes it is not their business, would you imagine to be treated in this way by your own when you need it? Well it’s part of their plan, pressure to get more money from the EU
So your Christmas holidays in the sun has been called off thanks to the Morocco, their beggars as economic strategy
@John McCann: The Spanish economy depends on Tourism to survive, so economic powers are influencing the careless and wreckless relaxing of measures because they care more about profit that People’s lives.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Spain is dealing with the situation very well at the moment
Who needs a lift to the airport? I’ll start the car…
Why are Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland showing as grey-no dáta available??
@Dawn Harvey: Arlene is waiting until they go orange, Michelle waiting until it’s green.
@Badger the witness: haha.. that’s a good one.
@Badger the witness: that’s was a solid response . I snorted my cup of tea.
@Badger the witness: Absolutely brilliant
@Dawn Harvey: They are probably lumped under UK.
@Dawn Harvey: maybe because they are not part of the EEA?
@Dawn Harvey: I think because the UK haven’t been recording their testing very well up until a few weeks ago so their data isn’t clear. But what Badger said is probably more accurate hahaha
A quick scoot of the Aer Lingus website seems to have every flight from DUB to the 3 main Canaries’ airports nearly completely sold out for the month of December.
@GOOПΞɌΛDΛM: They’re not sold out, were never available or were cancelled. Aer Lingus cancelled my flight to Italy last month and when I checked on line it was down as sold out, but they just cancelled the flight probably due to low bookings and their website misleads travellers.
@John McCann: Aha. Thanks for clarifying.
But you can’t go into another county. Hmm
@Vincent Bickerstaffe: I guess you don’t understand it. Anyone arriving into this country will be under the same restrictions as the rest of us…..
That’s good news… They can open the pubs now
So from 29th of November the same rules will apply to both red and orange regions? They just can’t keep things simple.
@Badger the witness: No, you can avoid a test 5 days after arriving if you have a test within 3 days of departure if coming from an orange country. You cannot avoid that test if you’re coming from a red country.
Lovely! Going to Lanzarote tomo
If I was more quick witted I could make a protestant joke right now
Ah, but you have plenty of time to think still, just wait for the news of Ireland turning green.
Best in Europe. Excellent job by everyone.
What is the story with arriving from non EU countries? I’ve Jamaica booked in a few months
@Conor J Linnane: non-EU countries are classified as grey. For the purposes of the traffic light system, grey countries must follow the same procedure as red countries.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: Cheers Brian.
Here it starts. A covid test b4 we travel. When will people wake up? That’s our freedom gone. We can’t let this continue. This will only get worse. A passport stamp which there talking about and next a vaccine we have to take b4 travel. Wake up. It’s only a cold and it’s not a deadly virus. Common sense here. Wheres the bio hazard bins if it was deadly. How come masks r throw on the ground all day, every day? Not deadly u see. It’s a lie and fear mongering the media and government wake up people.
Interesting that England is colour coded while the remainder of the UK isn’t.
@Alex Marquis: Its basically saying in the UK with the exception of England they are doing inadequate testing to even give them a colour.
While the canaries may be on the orange list now the numbers are actually going up in tenerife at the moment and the regional government are looking at night time curfews in the next 2 weeks to bring the numbers back down.
Careful now with that headline.
It takes how long to get a covid test result? wasn’t it like doctors wouldn’t even send you to a test if you have no symptoms? How are we supposed to travel if we need a test within 3 days but doctors won’t do one based on symptons not met, call that BS
@Soeren Kuehling: you can get one privately.
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