AQW 20294/17-22

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 11/06/2021
Answered On Date: 22/07/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health why information on the NI Direct website does not appear specifically and clearly to recommend against travel into or out of Northern Ireland for non-essential leisure purposes.

Answer:

Since Monday 24 May, travel has been legally permitted for any reason into or out of NI. The NI Direct website does not therefore recommend against non-essential travel into or out of Northern Ireland.

For those returning home or travelling to Northern Ireland from within the Common Travel Area (CTA), the public health advice is that people should take a rapid lateral flow device test (LFD) before they begin their journey and only travel if the test is negative. The guidance also requests that they take an LFD test on days two and eight after returning home.

For those returning home or travelling to Northern Ireland from outside the CTA, mandatory travel measures are in place depending on the country(ies) visited in the previous 10 days. Travel restrictions will continue to be kept under review and anyone travelling should regularly check the NI Direct website for up to date information.