Online Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form to be launched

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced that the current Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form will move to an online process this coming week. Regulations underpinning the move to an online form were signed by the Minister for Health today and will come into effect on Wednesday, August 26th. 

The Government continues to advise Irish citizens and residents against all non-essential international travel. Passengers arriving into Ireland from overseas are asked to restrict their movements for 14 days unless arriving from one of the countries with a “normal precautions” travel advisory from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (green list).

Minister Donnelly said: “The public health advice remains that all non-essential travel overseas should be avoided, but we understand that some people need to travel for essential personal and family reasons.

“Today’s change is aimed to facilitate this travel and make the completion of the Covid-19 Passenger Locator Form easier for those who need to travel. Importantly we are rolling out an enhanced system of engagements with passengers, which will include issuing targeted public health advice by text message. Completion of this form helps our public health officials carry out follow-up checks on those arriving into the State. It also facilitates contact tracing efforts in the event of a suspected or confirmed case of Covid-19 on a flight or ship that has landed in Ireland.

“The Government still advises passengers who arrive into Ireland from non-Green List countries to restrict their movements for 14 days. This is to limit the possible importing of Covid-19 and onward transmission of the disease to their families, communities and workplaces.”