The Irish Government’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has recommended that citizens should “cancel” holidays abroad and avoid unnecessary trips, due to a recent rise in imported cases.

HIS announcement follows “a worrying trend” in recent days, with “new outbreaks” and a surge in new Covid-19 cases, especially imported ones. One outbreak was located in the northwest of the country and its transmission was travel-related, originating in Iraq.

He warned that at least six of the recent cases of Covid-19 in the country have been “imported”. “Last week more than 1.1 million cases were recorded and now there are more than 10 million global coronavirus cases,” said Holohan. “The risk of imported cases remains high, so it is important to avoid unnecessary travel.”

Holohan added that he is “deeply concerned” about the opening of borders in the EU and more specifically about the government’s decision to relax the restrictions from 9 July and allow air bridges with certain countries. “It makes much more sense to cancel holiday plans and eliminate the risk of travelling abroad, becoming infected, and putting family members at risk,” explained Holohan. “I say this not only for the individual benefit, but for the collective one.”

Holohan’s recommendation comes within a few hours of the government’s “third phase” of de-escalation announcement with the reopening of restaurants, hotels, hairdressers, gyms and pubs with strict social distancing rules. Ireland has been cited as one of the most successful European countries in fighting the pandemic, with around 1,735 Covid-19 deaths and 25,462 confirmed cases of the disease.