Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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322. To ask the Minister for Health if cases of a double mutant variant of the novel coronavirus similar to that found recently in the Indian state of Maharashtra have been detected in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17756/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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323. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address a matter regarding the case of a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17767/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has introduced more stringent measures applying to international travel in order to mitigate against the risk of new variants being imported through travel and to protect the progress we are making in suppressing transmission domestically.

Passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas may be required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form, to present evidence of a negative pre-departure RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival and to observe mandatory home quarantine.

Uruguay is currently a designated state under the Health (Amendment) Act 2021. Passengers who have been in a designated state within 14 days of arrival to Ireland must observe a period of quarantine in a designated facility. Limited exemptions from this requirement are set out in the Act including for international transport workers, members of An Garda Síochána or the Defence forces travelling in course of their duties and for persons travelling for urgent, unavoidable and time sensitive medical reasons.