Ireland is considering restarting its mandatory hotel quarantine regime after it told residents to avoid non-essential travel to seven southern African countries due to concerns over a new COVID-19 variant.
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While Ireland has no direct flights to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, it urged all Irish residents there to return as soon as possible and quarantine at home for 10 days upon their arrival.
"I've had advice from the chief medical officer to say it (mandatory hotel quarantine) is something we should consider," Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told national broadcaster RTE on Friday.
Donnelly said he would bring legislation before parliament early next week to enable the program to resume after it was stood down in late September.
Ireland, with a population of five million, registered 4763 new daily cases of COVID-19 in its most recent reporting period.
In total, Ireland has recorded 547,000 cases, and more than 5600 deaths from the virus.
Australian Associated Press
