The new international travel rules for countries on the European Red List will be a “game changer” for the business community.

From November 29th, passengers arriving into Ireland from countries designated ‘Red’ by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) will be permitted to end their self-isolation after five days, provided they receive a negative test.

A PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) would be required. It would be carried out privately and paid for by the passenger at a cost of around €90.

It is the final section of the EU ‘Traffic Light’ system for international travel to be introduced in Ireland.

Since late-October passengers from ‘Green’ regions have been permitted to travel to Ireland without quarantining on arrival.

Since last week meanwhile, passengers from ‘Orange’ regions no longer have to quarantine, provided they receive a negative test within the three days prior to travel.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, travel expert Eoghan Corry said the new rules for ‘Red’ countries are “going to be a big game-changer for the business community.”

“It is the start of a process of reconnecting Ireland in a business sense with the rest of the world,” he said.

“This is very much a game changer for things like getting services for machines that have been lying there since March.

“Employers won’t send a team to Ireland to spend 14-days self-isolating before they can do the job.”

He said passengers the USA will be treated as if they are arriving from a ‘Red’ country and noted that “as we have daily flights coming in from Boston, Chicago and New York, it is more important for the business community than the leisure community.”

Mr Corry said the new system should gradually allow for the return of leisure travel ad countries get to grips with their COVID-19 figures.

The latest Traffic Light map from the European Centre for Disease Control

The system is based on a data published by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) every Friday.

Countries will be designated green, orange or red depending on three criteria:

The number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period.

The positivity rate of the COVID-19 tests carried out in the past week.

The number of COVID-19 tests carried out per 100,000 people.

The EU Traffic Light system. Image: Department of Foreign Affairs

Under the plan, regions will be designated green if they have a 14-day rate below 25 and a positivity rate below 4%.

Regions with a 14-day below 50 will be designated orange provided their positivity rate is above 4%; however, they can have a 14-day rate as high as 150 if their positivity rate is less than 4%.

All other regions will be designated red.

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