“Persons travelling from dark red areas could be required to do a test before departure, as well as to undergo quarantine after arrival.”
The EU is introducing ‘dark red’ travel zones, where stricter travel restrictions would apply in member states where Covid-19 is circulating at a very high level.
The ‘dark red’ countries will apply to any area where the 14-day notification rate is more than 500 per 100,000 people.
As of Sunday 24 January, Ireland’s incidence rate per 100,000 people is 840.7, meaning we would be considered ‘dark red’.
For people travelling from a ‘dark red’ area, Member States should require them to:
- undergo a test prior to arrival;
- AND undergo quarantine as recommended by the Health Security Committee and currently practiced by several Member States.
However, some exceptions would remain in place, especially for those living in border regions.
It said: “People living in border regions should be exempted from some of the travel restrictions. If they frequently need to cross the border, for instance for family or work reasons, should not be required to undergo quarantine and the frequency of test required should be proportionate.
“If the epidemiological situation on both sides of the border is similar, no testing requirement should be imposed.”
The system is based on a common map with colour codes based on common criteria produced by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC), with epidemiological data provided by each member state.
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