Caution over Covid-19 urged as summer travel set to take off

People travelling overseas this summer are being urged by the Department of Foreign Affairs to stay informed about Covid-related rules and to check they have proper travel insurance as the direction of the pandemic remains uncertain.

While many of the restrictions which grounded international tourism during the pandemic are gone, the need for caution remains, the department said. It advises that, along with their shorts and T-shirts, people should pack both adequate insurance and a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

“Irish people love to travel but our message is things are not fully back to normal,” said the head of international travel within the department’s consular division, Deirdre Ní Fhallúin.

She noted that changes to travel rules can come into force very quickly depending on the trajectory of the virus at any given time and urged people to be mindful of that as they looked forward to a summer of travel.

Powering up: Pressure grows on Government to improve electric vehicle charging network

---

Inside TV chef Clodagh McKenna’s new compact kitchen: why big isn’t always better

---

Can we finally say goodbye to shaming women for letting their hair go grey?

---

100 great restaurants and places to eat around Ireland this summer

---

She pointed to the dramatic increase in the frequency the Department of Foreign Affairs has been updating the travel advisory section of its website since the start of the global public health crisis in March 2020.

The site, which carries detailed information on 200 countries including the security and Covid status of each of them, “used to be a dusty corner of the website” but has become the first port of call for any would-be travellers.

Constant updates

“We have had three million page impressions on the site this year and it is being updated constantly with information fed to our team in Dublin by our network of embassies around the world. There are updates for up to a dozen countries each day. Last year, we published 8,000 updates whereas in the past we might have updated our advice once a month,” she said.

The almost-constant updates are required because the Covid-related rules across the world keep changing as the trajectory of the virus shifts. As recently as last Thursday, for example, a major shift in policy in Spain meant that a requirement to have an updated EU-wide Digital Covid Certificate was lifted for passengers travelling to the country from Ireland.

However the changes can also move in the opposite direction which is why Ms Ní Fhallúin is urging travellers to ensure they have the most up-to-date information before they set off for the airport.

“If people are well-prepared and know what they need and have good insurance then they are less likely to need us when they are abroad,” she told The Irish Times.

She also urged people to make sure they had an adequate level of travel insurance and to make sure they have an up-to-date EHIC card which entitles you to free care across the EU.

“When things go wrong, they can go badly wrong and those two things can make it easier at a most difficult time, giving people a sense of security,” she said.

She also highlighted a potentially alarming trend towards increased medical tourism. “Very sadly some citizens have died and that is why we have strengthened our advice and told people to get medical advice at home before they travel overseas for medical procedures. All we can do is try and make sure people have a greater awareness of the risks.”

She said that many young people would be travelling for the first time and encouraged them to stick together and avoid unnecessary risks and be very cautious if offered drinks from strangers or leaving their own drinks unattended. “When it comes to young people, we would just ask them to be more mindful and to look after one another.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs’ regularly updated travel advice section is available here: https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/