Travel in Ireland - December 2020 Coronavirus Update

As of yesterday, December 3rd 2020 Ireland has exited from six weeks of Level 5 coronavirus lockdown meaning that shops can now reopen, pubs serving food and restaurants can open also. Traditional pubs, not serving food, can't reopen as yet - there are many restrictions as the country is now on Level 3.

Travellers from most countries still have to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in Ireland but as of 29th November 2020 visitors can take a PCR test for COVID-19 after five days of being in Ireland. Here's the text:

Post arrival testing of passengers

With effect from midnight 29 November 2020

Passengers arriving from an “orange” or “red” or “grey” region are to restrict their movements for 14 days (other than the categories outlined above).

This period of restricted movement can end if you receive a negative/’not detected’ result of a PCR test that has been taken a minimum of five days after your arrival in Ireland. You should wait for your negative test result to be returned before ending the period of restricted movements.

From: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b4020-travelling-to-ireland-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/#covid-19-tests-for-international-travel

And yes the above first applied to European arrivals but now applies to all overseas visitors into Ireland.

So you can take a test no less than five days from arrival and upon a negative result you can travel throughout the country.

At the moment most Irish people are limited to staying in their own county for some bizarre reason that I have talked about before, so with checkpoints on the motorways and around the towns of Ireland don't expect your journey to go swiftly. It's difficult to say what the law is for overseas visitors, maybe you would be limited only to travelling in the county where you are staying. The usual rules of wearing a mask, staying 2 metres apart etc... still apply.

Also, having 1,2 or 3 negative PCR tests does not entitle Irish people who have been a close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to reduce their quarantine from 14 days, so expect some strange looks, disbelief and attitude from the locals when you tell them that you can travel freely while they can't.

Ireland currently has the lowest rate of infections from COVID-19 in Europe, but expect that to increase again as we get towards Christmas and the New Year so we are likely to see another change in lockdown level, potentially around January 6th 2021.

Numbers will rise again and movement will need to be restricted again before vaccines are distributed and become effective.

But we should see plenty of travel opportunities opening up beyond Spring and into Summer 2021.

For Panoramic Ireland's photography tours you can make a provisional booking now for 2021 - no payment is required until we are closer to the time so it is a no-risk no deposit booking.

If you are planning a holiday to Ireland in 2021 do contact me to enquire for availability.