Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 May 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Digital Green Certificate and Rapid Antigen Testing: Discussion

Mr. Ivan Bassato:

With an antigen test. Initially, this was not a requirement of the US. However, in January the situation changed when the centre for disease control in the United States mandated that passengers entering the US from another country had to test 72 hours prior with a viral test, which includes a variety of different tests such as antigen. They had to test negative 72 hours before boarding the plane and the tests we are doing in Rome were eligible. The rapid antigen test was okay and there was not a big change because we were doing that anyway.

The Covid-19 tested flight was kind of a promise of safety to passengers, not a barrier to board. We wanted to offer passengers the same level of safety both ways with a Covid-19 tested flight inbound and outbound from Italy. That was the initial reason we did the test in Rome for passengers travelling to the US. It was not a requirement on the US side but became such later on.

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