Conor Pope on travelling to and from Ireland as the Omicron Covid-19 threat mounts.
Will we be able to
travel this Christmas?
It looks that way, although it will not be a normal Christmas. DAA, which runs
Dublin Airport, expects to see 850,000 travellers over the 12 or so days of
Christmas. That’s a huge increase on the 235,000 people who travelled last
year, when air traffic was hit hard by Covid, but down 42 per cent on 2019,
when 1.5 million came and went. Between tomorrow and Tuesday, January 4th, it
says, 45,000 people will use the airport each day, with the busiest two 24-hour
periods likely to be on Sunday, December 19th, and Thursday, December 23rd.
Where are they
coming from?
All over the world, with an influx expected from the United States – many
people based there were unable to travel this time last year so will be making
up for going the guts of two years without seeing family and friends at home.
Restrictions are still in place in New Zealand and Australia, where a lot of
Irish people and people with links to Ireland are based. But there’ll be lots
of travelling to and from Britain, as well as from across the EU.
Is all that coming
and going wise? We’re still in the pandemic, and the Omicron variant of
Covid-19 is on the rise.
Coronavirus is still a
cause of grave concern, and rules are in place to try to minimise the risks
associated with international travel. But, as Tony Holohan, the chief medical
officer, points out, about 15 per cent of Covid detected in Ireland in recent
days are already the Omicron variant. If the variant is spreading rapidly
through community transmission here, there is probably little point in worrying
overly about importing cases.
What is Nphet saying about international travel?
It is to brief the Government on Thursday, when it may suggest further travel restrictions. The Cabinet will then consider these. Even though Tánaiste Leo Varadkar says it will decide as quickly as possible how to respond, things are very much up in the air – which is what you won’t be if tighter restrictions are rolled out, of course. Leo Varadkar said yesterday that he expected Nphet to recommend more restrictions on international travel, as well as on social mixing and close contacts.
What rules are in place right now?
The key requirement for anybody who wants to enter Ireland is to be able to
prove that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19, or to prove that they
have recovered from it, or to have a negative result from a PCR test taken in
the previous 72 hours. They must also have completed a passenger locator form
online before touching down in Ireland. The Government sets out these
requirements here.
Does the negative result have to be from a PCR test? What
about antigen tests?
If you are not vaccinated you must provide that negative PCR result. You
must also provide a negative PCR result if you are travelling from any
“scheduled state” – currently seven African countries – regardless of your
vaccination status.
But if you are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid you can provide either a negative result from a PCR test taken in the 72 hours before you arrive or the negative result of an antigen test administered by a professional – so not the kind you buy from a shop – in the 48 hours before you arrive in Ireland.
The clock starts ticking the moment you have the test and stops the moment you arrive, not the moment you are scheduled to arrive or the moment you are scheduled to leave your country of departure. So if your flight is due to arrive in Dublin at 2pm this Christmas Eve, you must not have a PCR test before 2pm this Tuesday or an antigen test before 2pm this Wednesday. That doesn’t leave much leeway for flight delays, changes or cancellations.
There is an exception to these testing rules for people who have recovered from Covid but continue to get positive results from PCR tests, as the Government explains here.
Okay. I’m fully vaccinated. What would happen if I missed
the 72-hour window for my PCR test because my flight back to Ireland was
delayed by two hours, say?
You’d most likely be feeling pretty stressed, for a start, but, from what we
understand, border officials would probably allow you into the country.
Okay. And what if my PCR test is positive?
That is one of the worst-case scenarios, for sure. You will have to
self-isolate wherever you happen to be and wait for an all-clear before getting
another flight. That could mean waiting as long as two weeks.
Two weeks? That would be a nightmare.
It would, but the test and subsequent self-isolation would mean you were not on
a plane unknowingly infecting those around you.
What happens if I arrive without a negative test?
In many instances you will not be allowed to board your flight. Even if you
make it as far as your plane, your documentation will be checked at the Irish
border and you could face a sanction. You would also have to quarantine and
have a PCR test within 36 hours – or remain in home quarantine for 10 days.
If I can’t travel because I have Covid will I be able to get my airfare back?
Almost certainly not. Don’t expect to be able to change your flight either. If the plane takes off without you, you can pretty much say goodbye to your money.
Wouldn’t my travel insurance cover me?
Do you have travel insurance? Lots of people only buy it for foreign holidays
rather than for shorter trips or visits home for Christmas. This is not the
time to think like that: buy travel insurance for every journey, and make sure
it has Covid cover. Bear in mind that you can’t buy it after the fact – no
policy will cover you if you buy only after testing positive.
What if I have planned a short trip overseas over before
or after Christmas?
The same rules apply when you are coming home – you’ll need a negative test
result, your vaccine cert and your passenger locator form. (You’ll also have to
follow the rules of the country you’re travelling to.)
Can I have my test in Ireland if I’m going overseas for
the weekend?
You can, but keep a close eye on that test window. We would recommend timing
the test so you get the results before you leave Ireland – which doesn’t give
you a whole lot of time to play with.
Let’s say you plan to spend two days in London, leaving Ireland at 10am on December 21st and coming home at 2pm on December 23rd. If you have to go – is it such a trip wise? – you should probably book a PCR test for 4pm on December 20th. All going well, you should have your negative result back before you leave the next morning and will still be just inside 72-hour testing window when you arrive back in Ireland.
Doing it this way also means that, if you get a positive result before your flight abroad and can’t travel, you’ll at least still be at home and won’t end up stuck in a place you don’t necessarily want to be for most of the festive season.
(Source – Irish Times – Life & Style – Conor Pope – 16/12/2021)
Your Christmas travel checklist – six things to do before taking off over the holiday period
Pól Ó Conghaile advises planning ahead to avoid a travel nightmare before Christmas.
Travel rules are changing at breakneck pace, with passengers now requiring a negative pre-departure test result to enter Ireland, and Omicron fears seeing arrivals from Britain advised to take antigen tests for five days in a row.
Despite the confusion, Dublin Airport is still expecting 850,000 passengers over the Christmas period – up dramatically on last year, but still far below 2019 figures.
Nobody travelling over the holidays wants to get caught out, so here are some steps to consider before you book a trip, or travel, in the coming weeks.
1. Take A Breath
Covid’s new variant and winter surge have triggered a wave of confusing rules. We have a lot to learn about Omicron’s transmissibility, severity and ability to dodge vaccines, however, so there’s no point trying to second-guess what’s coming. Focus on what you can control.
If you are finding the anxiety too much, consider using a travel agent who can monitor updates and cancellation or rescheduling options for you. On the plus side, there’s a lot of flexibility out there — Aer Lingus, for example, allows you to cancel or change flights to within two hours of travel up to January 31 (though a fare difference may apply).
2. Insure Yourself
Early in the pandemic, travel insurers ran from the coronavirus. Now, they largely include it on policies — providing protection for flight changes, accommodation or medical expenses, for example, if you contract the virus overseas. Query what your policy does and doesn’t cover by phone — you won’t be covered if you choose not to travel simply out of worry, for example.
3. Do Your Homework
Check the specific vaccination and testing rules for your destination, and don’t forget the Personal Locator Form and tests if you are returning home to Ireland. Reopen.europa.eu and dfa.ie/travel are regularly updated websites for outbound travel, while Ireland’s restrictions are updated on gov.ie.
Double check these again close to travel — updates are coming thick and fast.
Pay close attention to testing rules and time windows for taking PCR and antigen tests. Is it within 24, 48 or 72 hours of arrival or departure? Bear in mind that ‘departure’ may mean the final leg of a multi-flight trip, and that delayed flights can impact the window period.
Err on the side of caution.
4. Pre-Book Testing
Ireland now requires all arrivals aged 12 and over to show a negative result from a professional test. So does Portugal. The US requires a negative test result taken within a day of travel. Demand is up dramatically at private testing centres, so book ahead to avoid last-minute stress.
If your travel dates are flexible, choose times that match less busy periods (Dublin Airport expects its busiest days to be December 19 and 23, for example).
And don’t forget to think through what might happen if your Covid-19 test result is delayed, or positive.
5. Test Anyway
Even if a negative result isn’t required at your destination, a home antigen test may provide some peace of mind, or catch an asymptomatic case — protecting fellow passengers and sparing you a disrupted trip. I’ve found it nerve-wracking taking these tests, but reassuring too.
6. Bring Hard Copies
Take a printout of your Covid Cert, testing proof and any health forms in case you encounter Wi-Fi issues or your phone battery dies (a charger or battery pack is a good idea for hand luggage).
Oh, and check your old-school passport is in date! The Passport Service has an urgent appointments service, but don’t let it get that far.
Anyone greeting a passenger at Dublin should also remember that access to the terminals is only allowed to passengers, crew and airport staff – so plan to meet outside (there are new meeting points just outside Terminal 1 and at the glass walkway between the Terminal 2 car park and arrivals).
The airport lists its Covid-19 travel tips here, and Christmas travellers should remember not to wrap any gifts taken as hand luggage… they may need to be opened at security.
Risk, health and travel assessments are different for everybody, but in summary: Think ahead, build in flexibility and expert advice, and put your peace of mind first.
(Source – Irish Independent – Travel – Pol O Conghaile – 11/12/2021)