It was about time! The Irish government has finally announced the countries included on their “Green List.” To recap, this list determines which countries can travel to Ireland without being subject to quarantine requirements.
Ireland Finally Clarifies Its Position
France and the United Kingdom: The Big Absentees from the Green List
The decision took time and was difficult, but the list was finally unveiled on the evening of Tuesday, July 21.
Ireland currently considers the following countries to be safer in terms of Covid-19:
- Cyprus,
- Estonia,
- Finland,
- Gibraltar,
- Greece,
- Greenland,
- Hungary,
- Italy,
- Latvia,
- Lithuania,
- Malta,
- Monaco,
- Norway,
- San Marino,
- and Slovakia.
Travelers from these countries can freely enter and leave Ireland without quarantine. The same applies to Irish residents traveling to these destinations: no restrictions will be imposed upon their return. This gives the Irish an opportunity to enjoy short holidays abroad, although the government still recommends avoiding non-essential travel.
This rather limited list was determined by considering the crucial R factor, which measures the Covid-19 transmission rate. The Irish government relied on this data to exclude any countries with a higher infection rate than Ireland.
While this list may not satisfy everyone (notably with France and the UK missing), it represents a first step by the government toward reopening the country to tourism.
Officials have already announced that this green list will evolve over the coming weeks, depending on each country’s situation. Some countries may be added, while others could be removed.
For now, Irish leaders remain cautious, closely monitoring new potential Covid-19 cases in Ireland. They fear that reopening travel could lead to a resurgence of coronavirus infections.
Nevertheless, the Irish are exercising great caution. So much so that Ireland may present a very different face to travelers this summer — with many Irish pubs closed and some tourist sites shuttered. Fortunately, the wild landscapes remain as stunning as ever!
