Big name destinations not on travel Green List

Travel to the USA, the UK, Spain, Germany and France is off the cards for the moment, in view of the list of countries on the so-called "Green List" for travel.

RTE is reporting that there are fifteen countries on the Green List - Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco and San Marino.

Passengers arriving from those countries are not required to restrict their movements up on return.

Despite publication of the Green List, for people living in Ireland, the advice remains to avoid all non-essential travel overseas until further notice.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney on Morning Ireland today said: “It is important to say that the travel advice has changed in relation to countries that are on this so-called ‘green list’, but the overall message from government is that the safest thing to do is to stay at home. That’s a very clear message."

A new Travel Protocol issued by the government, bans non-travellers from airport terminal buildings, stating that "only passengers, i.e. persons with documentary evidence of a flight are to enter the Airport terminal buildings", although exceptions will be allowed for those accompanying persons with reduced mobility, unaccompanied minors, etc.

Face coverings must be worn throughout the journey, except for when eating or drinking.

The government says that family and friends arriving from a green list country should be treated as visitors.

"This means you should follow social distancing and other public health guidelines. You should not interact with them in the same way as the people in your household that you live with every day."