Foreign holidays ‘very much’ off the table this summer, says NI health minister Robin Swann

Mr Swann made the comments during a press conference at Stormont on Wednesday.

Asked whether the new wave of infections sweeping across Europe meant foreign travel is out this summer, Mr Swann said: “Very much so, because what we are looking at across all five nations, in the conversations that we’ve had, is the introduction of ‘red lists’ and those countries that are bringing a particular concern in regards to either inward or outward travel.”

Mr Swann also suggested people could face a financial penalty if they fly abroad from certain parts of the UK, but stressed that the Northern Ireland Executive is not pursuing such a measure.

“We are seeing steps being taken in Westminster tomorrow in regards to actually fining anyone who wants to leave the country,” he said.

“It’s not a direction of travel that we would be going on at this point in time in the Executive.”

The minister also said the Stormont government is looking into setting up hotel quarantine measures similar to those in place in the Republic of Ireland and in other parts of the UK.

“We have no international direct flights at the moment.

“The Executive is looking at establishing hotel quarantine, as we’ve already seen being established in other jurisdictions , so that we can support anyone that does want to transit even through another country into Northern Ireland or, should direct flights start, so that we would have that facility as well.”

Mr Swann was also non-committal when asked if people may be able to go on holidays this summer without leaving the island of Ireland.

He expressed hope, however, that holidays within Ireland should be possible at some stage this year.

“One of the things I’ve never done from this podium is pre-empt any announcement or any decision that is going to be taken by the Executive, so I’ll not do that,” he said.

“I do think it should be possible this year, this calendar year, but when we can do it will be for the Executive to decide.”

He continued: “As we look to the potential for holidaying across this island, it will be dependent again on vaccine uptake and how we get to the assessment of where it is safe to travel, whether either jurisidiction has travel barriers or travel advice in place as well — as we’re conscious the Republic of Ireland currently does.”

Mr Swann added: “It will be at the right time and the right pace. That’s the way we’ve approached our response.”