Mandatory hotel quarantine (MHQ) 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 11 July, a total of 8,359 people have entered Mandatory Hotel Quarantine accommodation since it began on 26 March. As of 9 July, 349 of these have tested positive for Covid-19 in MHQ.
Applicable travellers must also enter mandatory hotel quarantine if they do not provide evidence of a negative result from a Covid-19 RT-PCR test. As of 11 July, a total number of 986 people arrived into Ireland without evidence of a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test. Provided applicable travellers have not been in a designated State in the 14 days prior to arrival in Ireland, their period of quarantine will cease once a ‘not detected’ result from a Covid-19 RT-PCR test is returned.