International travel can restart without the need for tests later this summer once enough Irish and European people are vaccinated, according to chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan.
Addressing an Oireachtas committee Dr Holohan said that the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) supported the Government's plan to restart travel from July 19th.
He told politicians that once progress on vaccinations continued in the Republic and Europe "we will see extensive resumption of airline travel in the late summer without the need for any form of testing".
Dr Holohan was responding to questions from the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications Networks on the use of rapid antigen testing for international travel.
The chief medical officer said that was the case notwithstanding fears about Covid strains such as the Delta variant that has slowed re-opening in Britain.
He added that Nphet favoured the EU certificates that will allow anyone who has been vaccinated or recovered from the virus to travel “without the hurdle of testing”.
