Sir, – According to your article "Fully vaccinated people may not have to isolate if identified as close contacts" (News, April 7th), "a fresh row has broken out over plans to extend mandatory quarantine to European countries".
The revelation that at least four government departments were involved in the latest “discussion ” on this matter is a recipe for more confusion and procrastination.
Where is the leadership in all of this? The Taoiseach needs to step up to the mark and bring this sorry saga to a resolution! – Yours, etc,
TADHG McCARTHY,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, – I am disappointed and annoyed to read that officials are complaining of a lack of answers regarding quarantine arrangements in line with expert advice to Government to extend the list of counties to which the measure applies.
It is not the role of officials to carry out Cabinet-style meetings mirroring the political stance of their Ministers but rather to find solutions and deliver a range of suggested actions to facilitate good government in the interest of all, prioritising preservation of life and wellbeing. – Yours, etc,
CAITRÍONA McCLEAN,
Lucan, Co Dublin.
Sir, – That great Galwegian Jimmy Cranny frequently said: “If you’re going to do the thing, do the thing; if you’re not going to do the thing, don’t do the thing – but don’t say you’re going to do the thing and then not do the thing.” This could be aptly applied to the current indecision on quarantine. – Yours, etc,
MARY FRANCES,
Anach Cuain,
Co na Gaillimhe.
Sir, – The Minister for Health has done the nation a service by proposing the extension of mandatory quarantine to cover travellers into Ireland from various EU countries. The Minister for Foreign Affairs is clearly not pleased.
The impasse, it seems, is to be solved with a return to home quarantine, but of an enhanced variety. Here, a question arises as to why we would want a home quarantine system, however enhanced, when the previous home quarantine system failed so spectacularly. The reasons given for having the “enhanced system” tend to vary as a reason once defeated morphs quickly into another.
Originally, hotel quarantine was pronounced unworkable. When it proved workable, it was suggested that Europe would be cross with us for contravening the right of EU citizens to move freely throughout the EU. Now we know that some EU countries have themselves raised significant barriers against freedom of movement within the EU. Recently Germany banned all travel at its border with the Austrian Tyrol and with the Czech Republic on the basis that both were “mutation areas”. Meanwhile, Austria itself has deployed police and military (yes, military) to restrict travel in the area of its Tyrol. Finally, both Belgium and the Czech Republic have mandatory quarantine for travellers from red zone areas who do not have negative PCR tests. – Yours, etc,
BILL O’SULLIVAN,
Cork.
Sir, – I note that Monaco is one of the countries listed as Category 2 by the Department of Health. This means that people travelling to Ireland from or through Monaco will have to be quarantined. Presumably this means that all travellers to Ireland from areas in France to the east of Monaco or from Italy who travel by road or train to Nice or Marseilles airport or who take the train to a Paris airport will have to be quarantined. Are travellers from France or Italy going to be asked to declare if their train, bus, or car transited Monaco? – Yours, etc,
TED MURPHY,
Dublin 6.
Sir, – Would it not make more sense to stop all flights arriving in Ireland from South Africa, Brazil and England at this time? Or would that make too much sense to our Government which seems suddenly, a year later, obsessed with compulsory quarantine. For three weeks now or more, Government time has been wasted on this quarantine fiasco, with new laws having to be passed at every stage of the process. Stop the flights. – Yours, etc,
FELICE COHEN,
Wexford.
Sir, – The Government response to the Covid pandemic is book-ended by two examples of garbled logic that help explain how, despite having one of the longest lockdowns in Europe, we have had very poor outcomes with regard to rates of infections.
In February 2020, we had over 5,000 Italian fans due to travel to Ireland (despite the rugby match being cancelled). At the time the pandemic was raging in Italy, and in response to questions as to whether the Government would act to prevent the travel of these Italians, the then minister for health Simon Harris replied that he would not stop this travel, stating that some people may get around any ban by first travelling to another country, and then on to Ireland.
So the logic was because there might be a small number who would have the time and money to reach Ireland by first travelling to another country, we had better let all 5,000 fans in.
This month we have the idea that we should attempt to stop importing Covid cases by enforcing hotel quarantine on those travelling from countries with high infection rates, yet some in Government want such a scheme not to apply to high-infection rate countries from which we are likely to get lots of visitors. Also, after passing the legislation for mandatory hotel quarantine, some Ministers are now scratching their head and asking is it legal.
When the words and actions of our Government in response to a pandemic are reminiscent of scenes from Father Ted, you know that we are in trouble. – Yours, etc,
PETER KERR,
Castletroy, Limerick.