Passengers transiting through Qatar has to undergo Mandatory hotel Quarantine in Ireland from April 6. Essential services exempted.

Qatar also in the 26 countries which have been added to the Government’s mandatory hotel quarantine list.

This means all passengers who arrive in Ireland from April 6 from these high-risk countries will be required to book accommodation for mandatory quarantine.

The cost of the two-week stay, varying from 10-12 nights, in an airport hotel in Dublin will start at €1800 per person which includes accommodation and food as well as the transport to the hotel and testing.It is sad to know that people has to bear the expenses instead of state.

Those going into hotel quarantine in Ireland will be escorted from their airport to the hotels by Defence Forces personnel who will lead them onto their buses.

Countries are added to the high-risk list when there is concern of a variant or where cases are more than 500 per 100,000.

The new countries added to the list are as follows:

1. the Republic of Albania
2. the Principality of Andorra
3. Aruba
4. the Kingdom of Bahrain
5. Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
6. the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
7. the State of Israel
8. the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
9. the Republic of Kosovo
10. the State of Kuwait
11. the Republic of Lebanon
12. the Republic of San Marino
13. the Republic of Moldova
14. the Principality of Monaco
15. Montenegro
16. the Federal Republic of Nigeria
17. the Republic of North Macedonia
18. the Sultanate of Oman
19. the State of Palestine
20. the Republic of the Philippines
21. the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
22. the State of Qatar
23. Saint Lucia
24. the Republic of Serbia
25. the Federal Republic of Somalia
26. the Territory of the Wallis and Futuna Islands

Who needs to complete mandatory hotel quarantine

You must complete a mandatory hotel quarantine if you come from a designated State.

This includes:

• if you have been in a designated State at any time in the 14 days before you arrive in Ireland
• if you have travelled through an airport or port in a designated State

Passengers will be required to complete a period of mandatory hotel quarantine at a designated facility. This may be reduced if a passenger receives a ‘not detected’ result following a COVID-19 PCR test that is taken on the tenth day in quarantine. It may also be extended if a passenger tests positive during their stay.

Exemptions

The Health (Amendment) Act 2021 identifies those who are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine. If your trip to Ireland is not in any of the categories below, then you must complete mandatory hotel quarantine at a designated facility:

• arriving into the State in the course of duty and who hold a valid Annex 3 certificate (ensuring the availability of goods and essential services)
• arriving in the State in the course of duty and are drivers of a heavy goods vehicle
• airline pilots, aircrew, maritime master or maritime crew and who arrive in the State in the course of performing duties
• travelling to the State pursuant to an arrest warrant, extradition proceedings or other mandatory legal obligation
• a member of An Garda Síochána or Defence Forces (or their equivalents from another state) and travelling to the State in course of duty
• travelling to the State for unavoidable, imperative and time-sensitive medical reasons and these reasons are certified by a registered medical practitioner or person with equivalent qualifications outside the State
• having been outside of the state to provide services to or perform the functions of an office holder (under any enactment or the Constitution) or a member of either house of the Oireachtas or the European Parliament
• diplomats and certain other categories of persons entitled to privileges and immunities in the State

Regulations will also exempt transit passengers who do not leave the port or airport before travelling out of the State and who have a ‘not detected’ COVID-19 PCR test result, following a test taken within 72 hours of their arrival into Ireland(This is for people who are transiting through Ireland more clarity needed).

You should be aware that requests for review can be based only on a limited number of grounds and that public health will remain a paramount consideration.