Mandatory Hotel Quarantine, Dublin Airport, Paris-Dublin flight, VM News 14.4.2021
Dublin Airport, mandatory hotel quarantine (#MHQ), last Paris-Dublin flight pre-quarantine. France is now a red list country or a category 2 country. Michael Collins MD & Founder TravelMedia.ie boarded the last non-quarantine flight from Paris to Dublin (14/4/2021). Michael flew into Ireland on the last flight from Paris - Dublin prior to the addition of France to the MHQ.
News report on Virgin Media News, 14.4.2021
https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/...
Voice Transcript:
Well, the other major issue government is grappling with is confusion over Ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine system. Last night, bookings were suspended until next Monday because of fears over capacity even though more countries are being added to the quarantine list from tomorrow. Well, our reporter Paul Quinn is at Dublin Airport and Paul, we're hearing stories of people rushing to fly into the country before new rules are introduced from tomorrow?
Yes Claire, well, it's a system that's been in place for less than three weeks and it's already been marred in controversy. Another 16 countries will be added to that list. They come into effect from 4:00 AM tomorrow morning including the United States, Canada, France, Italy and Belgium, and it will bring the number of countries on that hotel quarantine list to over 70. But as you say, over recent days, it's been a bit of a scramble by people trying to get back into the country for whatever reason to avoid those quarantine rules. Now, Michael Collins is a travel PR specialist, he's been living in Paris, and came back to Ireland today, but he spoke to a number of people who are getting the very last flight out of Paris before those new quarantine rules kick in for those countries.
I work in Paris, but I haven't been home to see my family in a few months and if I don't go back today, then I won't get back. I understand the logic. I think it's quite a drastic measure to take this late in the game. I think I would be all for it if it was this time a year ago.
I'm actually travelling because my mummy's dying and I have to get home to spend the last, the last time with her. No, I wasn't planning on travelling today. I thought I might've got a little bit more time out of it, I also have three children in France but since my mummy's is in such a bad state and since the quarantine is being put in place as of tomorrow morning, I'm being forced into doing this. I think it's absolutely scandalous. Obviously, there are people that won't follow the rules, but, if you have a stable address where you can go to and you can prove this I don't see why you're not able to do that.
Now, of course, the big issue today, Colette, for the government has been the decision to suspend the online booking for a hotel quarantine, the health minister putting this down to what he says is "An unacceptable level of walk-ins." Currently capacity in hotels at 650 rooms. They're building that up to more than 1,300 by Monday week. But, of course, the opposition seizing on this describing it as shambolic, saying that it's caused unnecessary confusion and chaos, and we've been hearing from a number of people even online today who've been trying to get home, but simply can't get information exactly what's going to happen and where they'll be able to stay.