Ireland added 26 countries, including Kuwait and Oman, to a list of nations subject to mandatory hotel quarantine on arrival.
Irish authorities announced the changes on Thursday but the extension of the list fell short of the 43 mooted earlier in the week.
Travellers coming from European Union member states will not be required to enter mandatory hotel quarantine despite many countries on the continent reporting spiralling Covid-19 case numbers.
According to reports, the Irish government was advised by the chief medical officer to add France, Germany, Italy and the US to the list of countries subject to 12-day hotel quarantine on arrival.
But ministers said a decision regarding countries such as those from the EU "will be considered in advance of the next government meeting". Ireland is an EU member state.
“Considerations will also address various issues including the operational capacity that may be required to accommodate additional travellers and issues related to the Common Travel Area and the need to consult with our EU partners,” a government statement said.
“Further consideration will also be given to ways in which measures pertaining to those travelling from non-designated states might be further strengthened.”
The following countries were added on Thursday: Albania, Andorra, Aruba, Bahrain, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Ethiopia, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Palestine, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saint Lucia, San Marino, Serbia, Somalia and Wallis and Futuna Islands.
Ireland has some of the strictest travel restrictions in the EU and last week followed England in bringing in hotel quarantine for arrivals of people from countries deemed "high risk" or for people without a negative Covid-19 test.
Including the new additions, there are 58 countries on the "designated states" list, most of which are in the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America.
Austria is the only EU member country on the list.
Arrivals must quarantine for up to 14 days in a hotel room or can leave after 10 if they test negative for Covid-19.
Travellers from newly added states will have to book accommodation for mandatory hotel quarantine if they intend to arrive in Ireland after 4am on April 6. Mauritius was removed from the list.
Ireland reported a further 761 new infections and 18 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 236,000 and deaths to 4,705.
The country of nearly five million has administered about 820,000 doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore'
Rating: 3/5
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Mads Mikkelson, Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Jude Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
Australia tour of Pakistan
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi
