Coronavirus: Concerns in Fermanagh over people from Republic crossing the border for non essential shopping trips to Enniskillen

David Mann contacted the News Letter to express his view that many southerners cannot be observing the Republic’s 2km travel restriction as few would live that close to Enniskillen.

The concern is heightened by a reportedly high Covid-19 infection rate in the border counties of Monaghan and Cavan.

“I have noticed that despite the restrictions on movement introduced in the Irish Republic, a large number of Irish registration vehicles still travel to the north without penalty,” Mr Mann said.

“All towns and villages in Northern Ireland have number plate recognition cameras. It should be noted that the Republic has a higher infection and death rate, especially in the counties bordering Fermanagh, Cavan and Monaghan.”

He recently visited a supermarket in Enniskillen: “What a joke, the one-way pedestrian system is not working and shoppers are going around in whole family units. Shoppers from the Republic are freely moving around, despite their 2km movement ban.”

The News Letter asked the PSNI about these concerns.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said: “The Republic of Ireland regulations are not the same as those that apply to Northern Ireland.

“The simple health advice is to stay at home and only leave home when it is absolutely essential. Travelling all but modest distances for your daily exercise is unlikely to be essential and therefore ill-advised.”

The statement continued at length but did not address the concerns about southern visitors making non essential travel to Northern Ireland shops.

Garda cracked down over Easter against NI people travelling to Donegal.

This week, Dr Gabriel Scally, president of the epidemiology and public health section of the Royal Society of Medicine, told RTE there could be a border “super spreader” – Co Cavan and Co Monaghan have 626 and 373 confirmed cases respectively this week.

Co Cavan has the highest infection rate of any county in the Republic, followed by Dublin and then Monaghan.

The News Letter asked the Stormont Department of Health (DOH) about infections in Co Cavan and Co Monaghan; and possible cross border risk.

The DOH did not acknowledge any risk to people in NI.

“The figures provided in relation to infection rates in Co Cavan and Co Monaghan are a matter for the Department of Health in the ROI and as such we would not wish to comment on them but we would have no reason to doubt their accuracy,” a spokesman said.

“All indications are that the population in the ROI, as the population in NI, has been adhering to the advice on ‘stay at home’ and the advice on social distancing and the population on both sides of the border need to be congratulated on that.

“The spread of the epidemic in NI and the ROI is broadly similar and there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that there is a leakage of infection across the border.”

Fermanagh UUP MLA Rosemary Barton said that for some weeks there has been recognition that “significant numbers” of residents of the Republic of Ireland have been visiting Northern Ireland for non-essential travel.

“Many would have travelled much more than 2km from their home before crossing the border into Northern Ireland,” she said.

“We don’t want to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, however given the high level of infections in border counties like Cavan and Monaghan, it is important that reasonable management processes are in place in the Republic and NI.”