Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 July 2021
120. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who have been mandatory hotel quarantined since its introduction; the number who have developed the virus when in quarantine; and the number who left the quarantine without a PCR clearance or before the full complement of quarantined days. [37591/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMandatory hotel quarantine has been introduced as one element of Ireland’s public health measures to combat the transmission of Covid-19 and to protect the population when there is a high risk of importation of infection from Covid-19 and from challenges posed by new variants of concern.
Mandatory hotel quarantine is required for applicable travellers who have been in the designated states, including those who have transited through a port or airport in a designated state, even if they stay airside or portside, in the 14 days prior to their arrival in Ireland.
As of 06 July, a total of 7,886 people completed their stay in Mandatory Hotel Quarantine accommodation since it began on 26 March. Of these, 340 have tested positive for Covid-19 in MHQ.
It is a criminal offence for an applicable traveller to leave a designated facility without authorisation. A person found guilty of this or other relevant offences is liable for a fine of up to €2,000, imprisonment for 1 month, or both. Where an applicable traveller leaves a designated facility without authorisation, An Garda Síochána will be notified, to investigate any suspected offences and enforce these laws.
