Contradictory advice for people travelling into Ireland from abroad must be clarified – Burke

People arriving into Ireland are receiving confusing and contradictory health advice on restricted movements to their mobile phones, a Fine Gael TD has said.

Cork North Central Deputy Colm Burke said the issues need to be corrected immediately to ensure all understand and adhere to the health requirements.

Deputy Burke, Fine Gael’s health spokesperson, said people travelling to Ireland from abroad receive information which wrongly implies they can use public transport or visit public places, when in fact they should be restricting their movements for 14 days. He said this needs to be rectified immediately.

“Currently all passengers arriving into Ireland from any destination are required to restrict their movements for 14 days as no country is on the Department of Foreign Affair’s Green List.

“However, I have become aware of contradictory advice received by passengers arriving into Ireland in the last week after they fill out the passenger locator form and provide the address where they are staying and contact details.

“The advice provided on the Government website on restricted movements is clear. It states do not use public transport and do not go to the shops unless absolutely necessary. You are also allowed to exercise while keeping two metres from everyone else.

“A few days after arriving into the country, some are contacted via text by their mobile phone to confirm if they are staying at the address provided. When this is confirmed, they are automatically brought to a website with current health advice informing them to wear a face covering if they are using public transport and if they are in public places like shops or shopping centres.

“Wearing face coverings on public transport or in retail centres is the law but  these communications to people, who should be restricting their movements for 14 days, gives them  the impression that they can go about their business freely when they should be staying at a place of residence for 14 days unless it absolutely essential to go to the shops or pharmacies.

“Obviously this is extremely concerning given the risk of transmitting Covid-19 to others and it gives rise to confusion about what people are required to do.

“This information is misleading and is at odds with advice on Gov.ie and the HSE website on restricted movements. This information needs to be rectified immediately by the Department of Health for all arriving into the country.

“Restricted movements means stay at your place of residence for 14 days bar exercise and essential trips to a shop or pharmacy if nobody else can do it for you or you cannot order online,” Deputy Burke concluded.

NOTES

See links to restricted movements here:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b4020-travelling-to-ireland-from-a-country-that-is-not-on-the-covid-19-travel-advice-list/#restricted-movement

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/managing-coronavirus-at-home/if-you-live-with-someone-who-has-coronavirus.html#restrict

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/managing-coronavirus-at-home/self-isolating-and-restricting-movements-differences.html

 See here screenshots of the message sent to people’s phones as well as the links they receive after confirming they are staying at the address provided in the Passenger Locator Form

https://wetransfer.com/downloads/33c6d8fab104a844a1cc7ad34b9a18ab20201018084538/b408f7e17695e22624356f6ccc07115120201018084558/c24e3c