Sinn Féin approach to mandatory quarantine would increase unnecessary travel to Ireland – Ward

The Sinn Féin approach to mandatory quarantine would potentially increase travel to Ireland in the middle of the pandemic and could increase the number of Covid cases coming into the country, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Barry Ward said: “Sinn Féin say they want Mandatory Hotel Quarantine for all non-essential travel, so despite all their posturing on the topic, they actually have a more liberal position than the Government position.

“Currently, all non-essential travel in and out of the state is against the law, and people are being fined or prosecuted for it. Mandatory Hotel Quarantine is for essential travel with a very small number of exceptions. The virus doesn’t know whether your travel is essential or not.

“Despite Sinn Féin’s protestations about the nature of mandatory quarantine here, in Northern Ireland where Sinn Féin is in power, they are only now introducing Mandatory Hotel Quarantine but arrivals into Belfast from Britain don’t even need to take a test.

“This type of inconsistency from Sinn Féin is no surprise. Before Christmas, Mary Lou McDonald said coming home for the holidays was essential travel.

“Now we see Sinn Féin adopt an approach to quarantine that would potentially increase unnecessary travel to Ireland and increase the number of Covid cases coming into the country.

“There is no non-essential travel and it’s important we keep it that way for now as we continue to fight this virus,” Senator Ward concluded.