Ireland scraps Covid-19 tests for vaccinated arrivals

Vaccinated travellers arriving in Ireland will no longer need a negative Covid-19 test, following a government decision on Wednesday.

Arrivals with a valid digital Covid-19 certificate or another proof of recent infection or vaccination will not require a test to enter the country.

The decision reverses measures introduced a month ago to stem the spread of the omicron variant of Covid-19. The rule is no longer necessary as the variant is now dominant in Ireland, Prime Minister Micheal Martin told reporters in Dublin.

Unvaccinated travellers will still need a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival, according to national broadcaster RTE.

Ireland reported 21,302 cases on January 5, near a record of more than 23,000 on New Year’s Day. The country’s seven-day incident rate is among the highest in Europe. As of January 3, 91% of over-12s were fully vaccinated and 52% had received a booster jab.

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