Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that unvaccinated young people can travel abroad this summer, contradicting Tony Holohan’s advice that they shouldn’t.
Mr Varadkar said that it would be “unfair” to ask young people not to travel this summer, especially as the EU Digital Certificate is designed to allow travel to those who’ve been vaccinated, had a negative PCR test or have previously had Covid.
The certificate is due to be introduced in Ireland from 19 July.
Speaking on RTE’s This Week in Politics, Mr Varadkar Mr Varadkar said the CMO’s advice is “totally right from scientific and medical grounds.”
“But because we are the Government, we have to take wider considerations into account, and that’s why the Government advice, the law we’re putting in place is actually different than the CMO’s advice.
“We are saying that people who aren’t fully vaccinated – including all those young people – can travel abroad, but they will need to get a PCR test before they return and that is the protection that we’re looking for.”
No Antigen Tests for Travel
However, when asked by presenter Áine Lawlor about the use of antigen tests for international travel, Mr Varadkar said that while antigen tests “have a role to play,” he also said that “PCR, even though it’s more expensive….will pick up more cases…missed by antigen testing.”
