The Cabinet has signed-off on primary legislation governing the introduction of a mandatory hotel quarantine for incoming passengers into the country. The legislation, which was evaluated during an incorporeal meeting tonight, sets out a financial penalty of €4,000, as well as a possible month in prison, for first-time offenders who do not adhere to the mandatory quarantine rules. A second offence would see fines of up to €4,500 or three months in prison, or both. A third offence would see fines of up to €5,000 or six months in prison, or both.
The move will be in place initially for those arriving in the State from 20 countries and anyone who does not have a negative test for Covid-19. It is agreed that those who stay in mandatory quarantine for 14 days will have to pay for their stay and will take a number of tests for Covid-19 during that time. Private security firms are likely to be involved in the day-to-day running of the facilities, but gardaí will have a role if any laws are breached. Arrivals from 20 countries including Austria, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and 17 African countries will have to quarantine in hotels here. The legislation to underpin the system is likely to take two to three weeks to pass all stages in the Oireachtas. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said that while final decisions have not yet been made, he expects the easing of Covid-19 restrictions next month to be "extremely limited". Comments are closed.
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